Chapter 32

Charlotte pressed her lips together, her long lashes fluttering as she stared at her phone, her face giving nothing away. She hit Decline without a second thought, tossed her phone aside, and slipped under the covers. Sleep came easily.
At the same time, in a quiet private room, Anthony sprawled across a leather sofa, his shirt unbuttoned just enough to show off a strong, pale collarbone. He held his phone loosely, having just hit Send Friend Request. Seconds dragged by. The reply popped up: Request Declined.
So that was that. He’d just been turned down. Kenneth, lounging beside him, saw the whole thing. Kenneth came from the Gates family. Broad shoulders, narrow hips, a face that graced billboards and magazine covers he was the hottest star around. “Wow, someone in Cabinda actually had the guts to reject Anthony Blair’s friend request?” Kenneth grinned.
Anthony just smirked, set his phone down, and lifted his glass for a toast. “Cheers.” “Is Patricia on your case again about getting married? You just picking whoever you can to shut her up, or are you actually into this one?”
“Who is she, anyway? Celebrity? Heiress?”
Anthony’s voice was low and a little rough. “Just a girl.”
Kenneth almost spat out his drink. “A girl? Anthony, come on. That’s a little much, even for you.”
“She’s legal,” Anthony shot back, a laugh in his voice. He thought about Charlotte, how icy she’d been, and couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips.
“Legal or not, still feels like you’re robbing the cradle.” Kenneth kicked his feet up on the table, took a long drink, and gave Anthony a sly look. “Patricia’s gonna lose it if she finds out. She’ll snap your legs like twigs.”
“You could wait, you know. Maybe my dad will finally track down my aunt’s daughter, and then you’ll have a perfect match. Family to family, all neat and tidy.”
Anthony’s smile turned sly. “Think she could be prettier than my girl?”
Kenneth cursed under his breath. His aunt had been gorgeous. No way her daughter could be anything but stunning. Too bad she was still missing after all these years.
Charlotte woke up early, pulling on a crisp white shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans that showed off her long straight legs. ha White sneakers smooth and shiny, bangs soft against her forehead, her small face bright and delicate. She didn’t put any effort into it, but just standing in the living room, she drew every eye.
Olivia came downstairs at that moment, heels clicking on the spiral staircase. Side
by side, the difference between them was glaring.
“Charlotte is so pretty.”
“Her figure is perfect.”
“She just has that classy vibe.”
“I always thought Olivia was beautiful, but next to Charlotte
Olivia wore her blue and white school uniform, the skirt shorter than usual to make her legs look longer. She had a decent shape, but compared to Charlotte, her legs seemed thicker, her hips wider, Skin dull. She caught sight of Charlotte and, for a second, couldn’t hide the jealousy in her eyes.
he
She snapped, “Why aren’t you wearing the Pathfinder Academy uniform?”
Today was the start of school, and her dad had already sorted out the details With Charlottes grades only Pathfinder would take her, and even then, it had taken a lot of favors to gether in.
Charlotte glanced at her, didn’t bother to answer, and headed for the door.
Olivia stomped after her, voice rising. “Charlotte, are you ignoring me on purpose?”
Charlotte shot back with a cold laugh, “Oh, that was you? I thought I heard a dog barking.”
Furious, Olivia bit her lip, grabbed her school bag, and hurled it at Charlotte.