Chapter 523

Dorothy opened her mouth, then closed it again and looked down. Whatever. The Carter family was done for anyway. If they wanted to cut ties, let them.
“Patricia-”
“See them out,” Patricia said, her voice cool and firm.
“Woof woof woof!” 98K, always quick on the uptake, chased after them, barking so fiercely that the visitors practically tripped over themselves trying to get away from the estate.
The Carter family was a mess right now, dealing with Melissa’s scandal and the Gates family breathing down their necks. They had way bigger problems than bothering anyone here.
Once the troublemakers were gone, the house settled back into its usual calm. Patricia took Charlotte’s hand. The harshness from before melted away, replaced with a warm, gentle smile.
“Lottie, were you scared just now?”
“I’m fine,” Charlotte replied with a small, obedient smile.
“Good. I’ve got your back, so don’t be afraid.” Patricia couldn’t hide her relief. “You probably haven’t slept well lately. Go upstairs and lie down for a bit. I’ll have someone call you when dinner’s ready.”
“Yes, yes!” Lavinia jumped in, all excitement at the mention of food. “Lottie, I just learned a new recipe and it’s amazing. I’ll cook for you tonight. You have to try it.”
“Alright,” Charlotte said, smiling.
Honestly, she was surprised. Lavinia always seemed way too elegant and aloof to care about cooking. But then Charlotte noticed the looks everyone else was giving each other.
Patricia said nothing. Anthony said nothing. All the staff kept quiet too.
“Go ahead and rest,” Anthony said, gently taking Charlotte’s hand and pulling her into his arms. He leaned close and murmured in her ear, “You’ll get to try my mom’s cooking soon. Trust me, you’ll never forget it.”
Never forget it? Was that a good thing, or… not so good?
Charlotte bit her lip and glanced over
at Lavinia, who was practically glowing with excitement Anthony’s words, she suddenly felt a bit nervous. Something told her this dinner really would be unforgettable.
Up in the bedroom, Charlotte sat propped against the headboard, her long legs stretched out as she talked on the phone. Anthony was in the shower.
“Roger and I finally beat Anthony to the punch this time!” Kenneth was practically bouncing with excitement on the other end. “The Carters must
be out of their minds
thinking they
can mess with you. Seriously what
were they thinking?”
Usually, Anthony handled everything so fast that Kenneth and Roger never even got a chance to help.
“Mhm,” Charlotte said, her lips curving into a smile. “Just teach the Carters a lesson. No need to go overboard.”
“Why not?” Kenneth asked, surprised.
“Melissa’s the real problem. A life sentence is her punishment. As for the Carter family Charlotte’s eyes narrowed a little. “They’re awful, but they don’t deserve to lose everything Think about all the people who work for them. If the
company collapses, those
employees will have nowhere to go.”
She never wanted her personal grudges to ruin innocent families.
Kenneth went quiet for a moment, taking it in. “Alright. We’ll just make them sweat a little.”
“Oh, and my mom said—”
Kenneth didn’t get to finish, because Anthony’s voice suddenly called out from the bathroom.
“Lottie, can you grab me a towel?”
A towel?
Kenneth froze, instantly on alert. Didn’t Anthony say he wasn’t going to try anything with Lottie?