Chapter 89

“Dad Olivia put on an act, pretending to resist as she got into the car. She didn’t forget to peek back at the lonely figure standing under the streetlight.
Poor thing. Nobody wants her.
A few seconds later, the car pulled away, leaving Charlotte alone and fading from view.
A handful of students had seen everything from the sidewalk.
“I heard online her dad flipped out because she pulled strings to get into the school. Watching that just now, it actually seems true.”
“So you really think Charlotte did something shady to get into Vanguard High?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” chimed in a student from Class A, one of Olivia’s friends. “Olivia might not be from the main family, but she works hard and she’s good at everything. She’s way better than Charlotte, honestly.”
Not long after, a video of Charlotte being left on the side of the road by her own dad started blowing up on the school forum.
In the clip, Olivia looked like the bigger person, quietly begging Charlotte to come home, only for Charlotte to make things difficult. The comment section was full of people feeling sorry for Olivia and trash-talking Charlotte.
Anthony parked and got out of his car.
He looked around and finally spotted Charlotte curled up under a big tree near the school gates. She was hugging her backpack, head down, face hidden in the shadows. The streetlight made her look even smaller and more lost.
He couldn’t help but remember last night, catching her crouching in a corner with red-rimmed eyes.
“What are you doing?” His voice was low, warm, and just a little rough as he walked over, kneeling in front of her.
Charlotte looked up slowly. She was pale, lips pressed tight. “You’re late.”
“Only by two minutes.”
The way she complained sounded so fragile, and her face just looked wrong.
Anthony frowned, concern flickering across his face. He reached for her cold hand, his voice softer now. “Sorry. Traffic was bad.”
Charlotte stood, staring at her shoes, silent and tense. The air around her felt heavy.
Anthony’s lips twitched into a small smile. Lottie was mad. Clearly, she needed a little extra attention.
He took her bag, handing it off to Hans, who stood there looking stunned. Anthony chuckled quietly. “My fault this time. I’m sorry.”
Hearing his gentle apology, Charlotte’s eyebrows moved, just barely.
“It’s cold out. Let’s get in the car, okay?”
A tiny spark lit up in her eyes. She glanced at him, long lashes fluttering, a little stubborn. “If you’re late next time, I’m not waiting.”
Anthony tapped her forehead lightly, finally letting out a breath. He looked at her with a mix of exasperation and affection.
“Such a little thing, but your temper’s something else.”
She really wasn’t easy to win over.
In the car, Charlotte sat quietly in the back, eyes empty, watching the world pass by outside the window.
Anthony had noticed right away that
something was off. He closed the folder he’d been reading and set it
aside Gently be brushed the hair from her forehead and leaned in, his voice deep and steady.
“Still mad at me?”
Charlotte looked up on instinct and met his gaze. His eyes were intense, drawing her in, and suddenly her heart was pounding so hard she could barely breathe
He was close, so close she could smell the clean scent that was always just his. It filled her head overwhelming the calm she tried so hard to keep.