Chapter 409

He told himself right then and there, Roger didn’t have a sister anymore.
Kenneth’s look said it all, even if he didn’t say a word. Roger glanced from Anthony to Charlotte, who stood quietly off to the side, and his mind started connecting all the wrong dots.
The way they held hands, the little private nicknames, that last hug that felt way too close…
Perfect. His precious Charlotte had been stolen.
Rage flared up in Roger. He grabbed Anthony’s collar, his eyes cold as ice. “Anthony, what did you do to Lottie?”
“Sir-”
Hans tried to step in, but Anthony stopped him with just a look.
Kenneth hurried over, not wanting things to get any worse. “Alright, enough. I reacted exactly the same way at first.”
He’d gotten used to it now, at least enough to accept it.
“You knew Lottie was dating?” Roger stared at Kenneth like he’d grown another head. He seriously wished he had more hands so he could smack some sense into this idiot. “She’s way younger than him. Anthony, you seriously have no shame.”
Kenneth ran a hand through his hair, clearly annoyed. “I only found out by accident, okay?”
“I don’t approve!” Roger shot back.
“My approval is all that matters,” Charlotte said, shoving her hands in her pockets. She stepped right between them, chin up and eyes steady. “Roger, let him go.”
Roger just stared. “Lottie, you
“I’m only going to say this once more. Let go of Anthony. And don’t ever try to hurt him again.”
Charlotte’s icy stare made Roger’s heart skip a beat. He let go of Anthony’s collar, finally backing down.
“Are you alright?” Charlotte asked, frowning as she gently touched the cut at the corner of Anthony’s mouth.
Anthony looked at her with so much
softness, like he’d never been
punched in his life. He was about to say he was fine, but her worried eyes made him change his mind. He winced a little, playing up the injury. “Roger was just worried about you. A punch like that is nothing?”
Roger just stared at him, completely at a loss for words.
He’d only come today to ask Lottie a few questions about forensics. Now he was neck-deep in drama he never saw coming.
“Let’s head to the room,” Charlotte said, taking Anthony’s hand. She turned to Hans. “Can you grab some first-aid stuff?”
“Yes, Charlotte.”
Hans nodded and hurried off. Charlotte pulled Anthony into the next private room, with Roger and Kenneth exchanging looks before following along. On their way, they ran into Emily, who was panting like she’d run a marathon.
“So, is everyone okay?”
“What do you think?” Kenneth ruffled her hair, smirking. “You totally gave us the wrong info. Just wait, Anthony’s going to have words with you.”
“Oh.”
Emily froze for a second, then tried to sneak off. “I was just trying to help! How was I supposed to know I messed up this badly?”
Inside the room, Anthony sat on the couch while Charlotte sat on a stool in front of him, gently dabbing his lip with a cotton swab. Andrew and his friends just stood there, totally stunned. None of them expected Anthony to show up at a birthday party like this.
Roger, Kenneth, and Emily lined up like they were waiting for detention, all feeling nervous for their own reasons. Roger worried he was losing his sister. Emily was scared she was about to lose her brother.