Chapter 80
“Ha…”
Charlotte’s bitter laugh broke the silence.
She seemed beyond words.
“You’re laughing?” Gloria’s voice rose through the phone. “How can you possibly laugh right now? The Woods are throwing you under the bus to make Evelyn look good! Are you seriously going to take this crap lying down?”
“Where’s that badass I saw at the charity gala? Hit back! Make them pay!”
“Burn those assholes to the ground!”
The profanity tumbled out.
This from the woman who typically floated through New York’s elite social circles with practiced grace and a honey–sweet accent.
“What if she’s right?” Charlotte asked dryly. “They’ve got all that ‘evidence.‘ Looks pretty damning, doesn’t it?”
“That’s complete bullshit!”
“I’d bet my life on it–you’re not that person, Charlotte. Not even close.”
“Everyone who’s anyone knows what Evelyn’s really like. I used to think Issac was hot stuff–sexy, gorgeous, the devoted husband. I was even jealous of you. But since he got tangled up with Evelyn? Total trainwreck. Can’t even look at him the same way anymore.”
“And that childhood engagement from ten years ago? Jesus Christ! Why not claim they were star–crossed lovers in a past life while they’re at it?”
Gloria continued her indignant rant.
When she’d first met Charlotte, Issac had been completely besotted with his wife, treating her like she hung the moon.
Back then, Gloria and Charlotte had just been casual acquaintances–the kind who air–kissed at parties and exchanged business contacts with
calculated smiles.
But when Gloria’s life imploded, when she plummeted from grace and former friends crossed the street to avoid her–when even family members pretended not to recognize her number or actively piled on–Charlotte had reached out.
Gloria would never forget sitting in the snow, calling number after number, feeling hollow as each call went to voicemail. She’d been thinking about ending it all.
Somehow she’d called Charlotte, who hadn’t hung up or made excuses. She’d just listened, then simply said, “I can help.”
Whether she could actually help hadn’t even mattered…
The person who shows up when everyone else walks away earns loyalty for life.
Charlotte let Gloria vent without interruption.
“Why are you so quiet?” Gloria pressed, concerned. “If you’re scared to take them on, I’ll do it myself! I’ll expose every ugly detail!”
“Don’t you dare go after them!”
Charlotte’s voice snapped with sudden intensity.
She exhaled heavily. “I’ll handle this myself. Thank you for believing me–that’s enough.”
Her mess had already touched her parents, Summer, and now Zarek. She couldn’t let anyone else get dragged into this quicksand.
Gloria started to protest.
She wanted to insist she could help, but reality checked her courage. What chance did she stand against families like the Woods and Granthams?
10:04
The Moment I Let Go My Uncle: Escaping the Forbidden Past.
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Chapter 80
“Look at you being all noble,” she huffed “Won’t even let people help when they’re literally volunteering
Charlotte managed a small smile. “I appreciate it, I do. Just stay on the sidelines, okay?”
“Stubborn as hell. Fine, I give up.” Gloria said, ending the call
The moment Charlotte set down her phone, her forced composure crumbled.
For the next hour, her phone buzzed relentlessly.
She was grateful her parents weren’t among the callers–they probably didn’t know yet. But they would soon… The thought of seeing the pain in their eyes made her stomach twist into knots.
She dug her nails into her palms.
She hated herself for not listening to them back then, for being so blinded by love. The regret was crushing….
She wished she could erase those memories completely.
While the world was exploding around them, Issac Wood was just waking up in a hotel bed.
Hungover.
Hadn’t gone home.
Phone dead.
Hadn’t shown up at work.
The entire Harmonex Group was in an uproar, and he was clueless.
When Ronald finally tracked him down and explained what was happening, it hit him like a sledgehammer.
Meanwhile, Zarek was leaving a business lunch. As he slid into his car’s backseat, Rex handed him his tablet, open to the latest drama involving
Charlotte.
He read through it, his expression giving nothing away.
But despite his calm demeanor, the temperature around him seemed to drop several degrees.
“Since the Woods and Granthams are so tight these days, I’m sure they won’t have any cash flow issues,” he said casually. “Pull their project loan.”
His tone was light, but had a razor’s edge.
“…We’ve already sent the first payment, and the second is scheduled for this week,” Rex said carefully. “Cutting them off now could collapse their whole operation.”
“You’re underestimating them, Rex,” Zarek replied smoothly. “This is Issac and Evelyn’s love project. They’ll keep it funded even if they have to sell their kidneys. I have complete faith in their… commitment.”
Christ, boss, you can’t let personal feelings drive business decisions like this!
Rex wiped sweat from his brow.
rough
The issue was delicate. Zarek had only recently returned to take over the company. This loan had been approved before his arrival, proce the VP’s office. All the relationships and kickbacks had been arranged. If Zarek suddenly pulled the plug, the VP and his cronies would see it as a direct attack.
But his concerns fell on deaf ears. Zarek had clearly made up his mind.
On the drive back to the office, he dictated instructions for a “routine reassessment” of the loan. The official justification: recent negative publicity surrounding the borrower’s company could potentially impact the project’s viability, creating default risks.
As for whether this “reassessment” would approve continued funding… everyone understood the game. It all hinged on the young prince’s mood.
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Chapter 80
New York’s most powerful financier could afford to be capricious occasionally–like dangling a treat above a begging dog. If he didn’t feel like giving, he simply wouldn’t.
Meanwhile, Issac remained completely in the dark.
Howard and Amanda were at the Grantham mansion, dining with the jubilant family. Evelyn sat beside Amanda, calling her “Mom” with saccharine
sweetness.
Amanda smiled mechanically, her eyes vacant.
Howard was privately furious with Amanda’s unilateral decisions. They had argued bitterly on the way over, but he’d eventually resigned himself to reality. Given the circumstances, an alliance with the Granthams seemed their only option now.
It was Charlotte who’d been ungrateful and difficult.
He had given her chances. She had thrown them back in his face.
“Where is Issac?” Evelyn pouted, checking her phone again. “Why isn’t he answering? He better not be with that gold digging slut!”
Her jealousy was obvious, her tone already positioning Charlotte as the homewrecker.
The entire Grantham family had embraced this narrative.
They spoke with righteous indignation, conveniently forgetting that Evelyn had been the actual other woman who’d been publicly humiliated. “Women like Charlotte just use their looks to climb the ladder,” Wayne Grantham said, swirling his Scotch. “Issac should have seen through her act.”
“Always had that look about her,” Daniela added. “You know the type–all bedroom eyes and fake smiles.”
“I feel like I need a shower just talking about her,” Evelyn’s mother sniffed.
As they were gleefully tearing into Charlotte, the dining room doors burst open.
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