Chapter 90

Anthony had been this close to Charlotte before, but never with both of them fully awake, facing each other like this. She had such delicate features, her skin so pale you could almost see the tiny veins beneath the surface. Her eyes were clear, almost sparkling, and right now she was staring straight at him without looking away.
He squinted, frowning a little, that odd feeling tugging at him again. Her eyes seemed so familiar, like he’d seen them somewhere before. He was good with faces, rarely forgot someone he’d met, but for some reason, he just couldn’t remember where he’d seen Charlotte before.
“This is the first time, and it’ll be the last,” Anthony said, his voice low and gentle, patient in a way that almost felt like a promise. “I won’t leave you waiting again, okay? Don’t be mad at me, alright?”
“I’m not.” Charlotte’s lashes fluttered as she shifted back a bit, her voice soft. “I’m not angry at you.”
“Then who are you mad at? You won’t even look at me, and you haven’t said a word.” Anthony let out a quiet laugh, reaching for a blanket and draping it over her legs.
Charlotte glanced down, pressing her lips together. “It’s nothing,” she replied, her tone cool. “Just some dogs barking at the school gate, messed with my mood.”
Dogs barking? Anthony looked at her, the corners of his mouth lifting in a knowing smile. He’d been to Vanguard High plenty of times. That place was locked down tight. No way dogs or even flies-could sneak in. Lottie really wasn’t being honest.
Imperial Heights
When they got home, Charlotte disappeared upstairs to shower. Anthony handed her coat to Helen, loosening his tie as he spoke in a low voice, “Did you get the security footage?”
“Yes, Anthony,” Hans replied right away, passing him a phone.
The video showed Charlotte at the school gate, talking to a man and a girl. Hans explained, “That’s Ms. Main’s father and her stepsister. From the looks of it, things didn’t go well. They left on a bad note.”
Her father and stepsister… Anthony watched the video, noticing how close the two looked. His lips curled into a bitter little smile. This father seriously played favorites, treating his stepdaughter even better than his own child. No wonder Charlotte got kicked out.
“Stop all business with The Main Group for the next month,” Anthony said, his eyes never leaving the image of Charlotte sitting under a tree. His gaze was cold now, completely different from the gentle warmth he’d shown before.
“Yes, sir.” Hans blinked in surprise, then quickly nodded. So Anthony was standing up for Ms. Main.
“Also, what did you find out about Charlotte’s five years in Lamplighter Village?” Anthony asked.
Hans answered respectfully, “From
what the villagers say, Ms. Main spent her first year in a sanatorium She escaped, and an elderly man took her in. He’s passed away Row. Since she lived alone with him his family really doesn’t know much about her time there.”
In other words, they hadn’t found anything useful.
Anthony considered it for a moment. If she really did know medicine, maybe she
picked it up from the village doctor. There was just so much about her that didn’t add
up.
“Alright, you can go,” he said.
Anthony stood and headed upstairs, calling out as he went, “From now on, once Ms. Main goes to bed, no one is allowed on the third floor.”
That pretty much meant the third floor was just for him and Charlotte.
“Yes, sir!” The maids glanced at each other, faces turning pink as they caught on.
Charlotte finished her shower and climbed into bed, propping herself up with a pillow, her tablet resting on her lap. She tapped the screen with a stylus, not really paying attention Shirley was being impossible texting her physics problems in the middle of the night.