Chapter 249

She heard the soft sound of fabric behind her. Charlotte glanced up and spotted Anthony stepping out of the closet while tying the belt on his robe. He’d changed into a deep gray silk robe, his dark hair still damp. The open collar showed off his strong collarbones, and he carried that effortless, refined confidence that seemed to come naturally to him.
Honestly, his face and body looked almost too perfect, like someone had sculpted him just right.
Anthony noticed her staring and gave her a slow, crooked smile, his eyes darkening with something hotter.
He caught her watching and tugged the collar a bit wider, wordlessly inviting her to look some more.
Charlotte fluttered her lashes, the corners of her eyes tilting up in amusement. She kept watching, not even trying to hide how much she liked what she saw.
“What are you staring at?” Anthony moved closer, his big hand ruffling her hair. His voice dropped lower, rough around the edges. “Do I look good?”
She let her lips curl into a barely-there grin and poked his arm with her finger. “Not bad. Have you been working out lately?”
He hummed softly and took her hand, his grip warm and steady as he traced her palm. “I’m not getting any younger. Gotta keep myself in shape.”
Charlotte looked up at him, her smile turning a little more playful. “You’re really putting in the effort, huh?”
Her smile made something in Anthony’s gaze go soft. He leaned in, his handsome face so close she could feel his breath on her skin. “I can do even better than this. So, Lottie, you’re not allowed to get tired of me.”
Being this close, she could breathe in his subtle cologne, a scent that was all his own. It sent a strange, dizzy feeling through her. Charlotte edged back, her hands braced behind her on the bed, neck arched, eyes narrowing as she watched him.
With a face like his, how could she ever get tired of him?
“Come here. I want to show you something you’ll like,” Anthony said, laughing quietly as he patted the back of her head.
Show her something?
She hesitated. “Wait, you’re not
Anthony caught her looking at him, her expression unreadable, and frowned a little. “What?”
Charlotte felt her cheeks heat up as she realized what she’d been thinking. She quickly smoothed out her face. “It’s nothing.”
Still smiling, Anthony took her hand and led her to a small room tucked behind their bedroom. It was more of a storage room, just big enough for a few essentials. On the left stood a white bookshelf packed with backs in different languages in the center was a simple wooden desk with a single lamp perched on top. To the right sat a massive safe that dominated the whole wall.
Anthony guided her over to the safe, tapped in a code, and then pressed her finger to the scanner. “It’ll open with your fingerprint from now on Anything inside is yours to see or
take,” he told her still hon her
hand.

Charlotte peeked inside. There was a thick stack of property deeds, easily over a hundred, sitting on a shelf almost waist-high. Other shelves were stuffed with leather folders, probably filled with confidential company files.
As she took it all in, Charlotte suddenly remembered that crazy promise Anthony made—he’d trade everything he owned for just one of her songs.
“Here’s the pin for my bank cards,” Anthony said, his voice calm and steady, cutting through her dazed thoughts. “Zero three zero one two zero. The day we first met.”
March first…
That wasn’t just some random set of numbers.
Charlotte pressed her lips together, then looked up at him, her eyes shining with something deeper.
“Is that enough to pay Echo’s
appearance fee?” Anthony asked,
squeezing her hand just a little, his eyes meeting hers without hesitation. He let out a quiet, knowing laugh. “And if it’s not, do you remember what else I said I’d give?”