All Chapters of Love in Disguise : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Charlotte sat on the couch, her mind spinning. She couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling gnawing at her. Who was upstairs? Charles had dismissed it casually, but her instincts screamed otherwise.“Okay, let’s get down to business,” Charles said, leaning forward, fingers steepled together as if he had nothing in the world to hide.Just then, there was a loud clatter from the staircase. Both their heads snapped toward the noise. A tall, blonde woman appeared, walking down completely naked, but with a G-string and a bra, her heels clicking loudly against the marble floor. “Baby,” the woman purred, flashing a flirty smile as she reached the bottom step, “you left me upstairs... again.” She paused mid-step when her gaze landed on Charlotte, sitting in the middle of the room, wide-eyed.The woman’s eyes widened as recognition dawned. “Oh my God!” she screamed, dramatically placing a hand on her chest. “Who is this? Are we going to have visitors now?”Charlotte’s face was impassive, but inside,

The night had swallowed the city whole. Dim street lights flickered, casting eerie shadows on the sidewalks as Charlotte sat silently in the cab, her heart pounding in rhythm with the tires against the road. The plan was risky, but it was the only chance she had to save Charles. She knew she couldn’t walk into this blind. Every step had to be calculated. She had to think before acting. Think. Stay calm.As the cab pulled up to Mr. Lucas’s house, she took a deep breath, rehearsing her next move in her mind. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached for her phone. Emma was her first thought—loyal, reliable—but she couldn’t drag her into this. This isn't her fight, she told herself, staring at her phone before slipping it back into her bag. No, this was her battle now. And Charles’ life was on the line.She quickly dialed Mr. Lucas instead. His steady voice answered almost immediately. "Hello?"“Mr. Lucas,” Charlotte began, disguising her voice, “this is Mason. I need to see you. It’s

CharlotteWhen I finally got home, it was well past midnight. The smell of burnt popcorn filled the air, letting me know Emma had attempted another late-night snack. I quietly entered our small apartment and saw Emma sprawled on the couch, her hair a messy halo around her head. An old rom-com flickered on the TV.“Charlotte?” she mumbled, half-asleep. Her eyes blinked open, and worry washed over her face. “You’re home late again! What happened? You didn’t answer my calls! I was worried sick!”I dropped my bag by the door and sighed. “Oh, you know, just the usual drama at work,” I replied, trying to sound casual.Emma shot up, suddenly alert. “Drama? What kind of drama? You have to tell me everything!”I hesitated and then sat next to her, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on me. “Okay, so I had another close encounter with Charles. He’s getting suspicious.”“Suspicious?!” Emma’s eyes widened. “You didn’t tell him the truth, did you?”“No! Of course not!” I exclaimed, my voic

Charles felt the sweat before he even saw her, the prickling sensation of unease crawling up his spine. He swallowed hard, but it didn’t stop the wave of tension tightening his chest. When he finally spoke, his voice came out strained, as if he wasn’t even himself. “Dad... what the hell is Veronica doing here?” The words spat out with more venom than he intended, his anger flaring like a match to gasoline. Emotions he thought were long buried threatened to resurface, shaking his usually calm demeanor.Veronica Kingston stood in the doorway like she owned the room. Her lips curled into a smirk, the same smirk that used to drive him crazy—and not in a good way. “Aren’t you happy to see me, Charles?” she cooed, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “I’ve missed seeing you at my feet.”Charles’s pulse quickened. God, she hasn’t changed. He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all, but the laughter stuck in his throat. The last place he wanted to be was anywhere near Veronica Kingston

---CharlesThe next morning hit me hard. My head ached as I slowly sat up in bed, still dressed in the clothes from the night before. The bar, Veronica’s whisper, the tequila—it all came crashing back in pieces. I sighed, pressing my fingers against my temples.What did I even do last night?I stumbled into the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. As I stared into the mirror, I realized two things: . I looked like hell.. I couldn’t afford to screw this project up any more than I already had.Mason’s words came flashing back in my head. You disgust me. And even with the hangover haze, I knew she had a point. I had messed up—big time. But what was I supposed to do now? She wasn’t going to come back and help me. And Veronica, of all people, showing up now? Offering me some sort of backdoor deal? That wasn’t a coincidence. She had something up her sleeve, and it sure wasn’t going to be good for me.Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about what she had said: “Join the winning team.”