Chapter 411

“Have fun,” Anthony said, giving Charlotte’s hair a gentle ruffle. His eyes were full of warmth and affection as he turned to leave.
Charlotte tried to enjoy the party, but with Anthony waiting outside, she just couldn’t get into it. After a while, she handed Shirley her birthday present and slipped out early.
Outside, the sky was already growing dark. She spotted Anthony right away, standing by his car with his head down, a cigarette between his fingers.
He looked so effortlessly handsome, tall and put-together. There was something about the way he smoked, casual yet a little reckless, that made him seem both refined and a bit dangerous. No wonder every socialite in Cabinda dreamed of marrying him.
But right now, he was hers.
Charlotte’s lips curled into a small smile as she walked up to him.
“Let’s go,” she said.
Anthony pulled open the passenger door for her. Once she was inside, he leaned over to buckle her seatbelt, taking his time.
“Once you finish this job, don’t take on anything else. Spend the next month focusing on school, okay?”
“Got it,” Charlotte replied softly, playing the part of the perfect student. It was just as well. She had things she needed to deal with anyway.
Anthony lingered for a moment, his eyes resting on her delicate face. He braced one hand on the back of her seat, his gaze turning serious.
“My grandmother called. Her seventieth birthday is coming up next month. She wants me to bring you.”
That was a big deal. It meant Charlotte would have to meet the entire Blair family.
“My parents will be there too,” Anthony added, watching her carefully. He reached out and gently touched her brow, his voice soft. “If you don’t want to go, don’t feel pressured. I can explain it to my grandmother.”
He didn’t want her to do anything that would make her uncomfortable.
“I’ll think about it,” Charlotte murmured. She suddenly felt drained, staring out the window and falling silent.
At Flux Digital, Charlotte took the elevator to the top floor with her script in hand. Just as she was about to head into the recording studio the director approached her grinning from ear to ear.
“Timbre, the female lead in this film is a huge fan of yours he’s gift for you and really warts you. Would you be up for it?
The female lead? Charlotte blinked, then realized who it was. Emily. So Emily was her fan.
Charlotte almost laughed at the irony. Emily had dragged Anthony along to catch her cheating” earlier that day, and now she’d find out her idol was the very same person. She wondered how Emily would react.
“Sure,” Charlotte agreed with a smile. She glanced at her watch. “Eight fifty works for me. You can pick the place.”
“Perfect,” the director said, clearly thrilled.
Everyone knew Timbre was famously private. She never showed her face or met fans, not even other actors. Agreeing to this was a big deal.
Emily was over the moon when she got the news. She was finally going to see her idol in person and could barely sit still.
At eight thirty, Charlotte finished up her last recording. She slung her bag over one shoulder and headed to Emily’s dressing room.
Emily heard footsteps and jumped to her feet, her face full of excitement and
nerves.
“Emily, Timbre’s here,” her assistant announced, opening the door.
The second Emily saw who walked in, she froze. The smile on her face vanished, replaced by pure shock.
Timbre was Charlotte?