Chapter 86
Elisabeth’s grip tightened around the lobster die was cleaning
Alsolutely not. When the old lady entrusted Charlotte to me the made it clear the didn’t want or for the child, just safety and happiness
“But she’s not safe now!” Elaine’s eyes reddened love her just as moth as you do. We raised but to be kind and intelligent, beautiful as a flower–the’s my whole world. But look at what happened to her marriage, look home they’re treating her? When it comes down to it, it’s because we don’t have the connections or poorer to protect her. 18 they knew she was a Lowell, would they dare treat her this way? Amanda Jones would be falling over herself trying to win her favor!“
“The Lowell family is a den of wolves, Elisabeth sighed heavily. “Right now, she’s just being humiliated. If the returns to the Lowells, she might end up losing her life!
“Don’t mention this again, especially in front of Charlotte. Not a single word, understand?”
“Tine,” Elaine nodded reluctantly.
But inside, the injustice burned. Her daughter was so wonderful–why should the be treated with such cruelty?
Upstairs.
Charlotte noticed that her mother and grandmother, who had been peacefully preparing lobsters moments ago. were now in some kind of heated discussion. Her mother’s eyes were red rimmed, and her grandmother looked unusually serious,
She headed downstairs.
Walking between them, she linked arms with both women. “Let me cook lunch today. I learned an amazing beef recipe from a chef I know.”
“I’d love to taste your cooking.” Elaine cupped her daughter’s delicate face affectionately.
Elisabeth tweaked Charlotte’s nose with a smile. “You little foodie. Always experimenting in the kitchen. You’ll end up round as Garfield if you’re not careful.”
“Garfield is adorable! All chubby and cute. Then I could just stay here with Grandma forever and make a living by being adorable.”
m
“As if you haven’t done enough of that already. When you were little, every time your parents came to pick you up. it would take hours of coaxing to get you to leave. And you always insisted on bringing Snowball and Sunny with
you too.”
Elisabeth continued sharing stories from Charlotte’s childhood.
Some memories remained crystal clear to Charlotte, while others had grown hazy. Snowball was a white cat with
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Chapter 86
pointed ears, and Sunny was a yellow dog with short legs. Her uncle had gotten them from villagers specifically for her to play with. Later, when she went to elementary school in the city, her parents wouldn’t let her take them.
She could only see them during holidays.
Every time she arrived or departed, they would be sitting on the wooden platform by the door.
Until one visit, they were gone… She knew they had passed away and cried for days. Her uncle teased her, saying dogs and cats only live about ten years, and she could always get new ones. But she firmly refused.
She feared the heartbreak, so she kept her distance.
It was true for Snowball and Sunny.
And now for Issac as well.
Perhaps she was just a coward at heart..
At lunch.
Charlotte prepared a feast. Her father and uncle had returned from their fishing trip with an impressive catch of seafood.
As the meal wound down, she broached the subject of her situation with her parents, grandmother, and uncle.
“I’m getting divorced. If all goes as planned, I’ll finalize the paperwork when I get back.”
“I’m the one who filed. I just don’t want to continue anymore.”
“Please don’t see me as a victim. Marriage involves two people–I chose to marry him willingly, and now I’m choosing to leave. And don’t worry about me being bullied. I’d never let that happen. Anyone who tries to hurt me gets it back tenfold.”
She spoke casually, as if discussing the weather.
The four family members followed her lead, assuring her they supported whatever decision made her happy. They would stand behind her no matter what.
With remarkable coordination, they all pretended they knew nothing, accepting her version of events without question.
But with today’s lightning fast information networks and the viral nature of her story, how could they possibly be
unaware?
A woman betrayed by her husband, taunted by his mistress, slandered by her mother–in–law–how could her heart not be breaking? How could she possibly walk away so lightly?
Yet they couldn’t help her. What could they possibly do?
The only thing they could offer was not to add to her burdens.
–
Be the Turbidden Past
Charlotte watched their careful, clumsy performance and felt her heart squeeze like a crushed lemon.
Here she was, a grown woman, still making her family pretend for her sake.
She was such an ungrateful daughter.
She vowed never to put them through this again.
Charlotte stayed in Stonington, Maine for three days.
She’d only asked Zarek for five days off… and even that she’d had to practically beg for
If she didn’t return to work soon, he really would fire her.
She needed to get back to New York, though she encouraged her parents to stay a few more days until the divorce was completely finalized.
Allen and Elaine agreed.
Before departing. Charlotte turned on her phone to check how the public opinion had developed.
She hadn’t won, but neither had they..
It was what she’d expected.
But on balance, they’d come out worse.
They represented the Wood and Grantham families, Harmonex and Ansonic. She only represented herself.
She quickly checked her messages, automatically ignoring the fake concern from people fishing for gossip. But when she saw a message from Mandy Titianne, her former team leader from Project Group Three, she paused.
It had been sent three days ago.
The message stated that the joint project between Harmonex and Ansonic was in crisis. Ansonic’s loan had been frozen–by Dominex Bank.
Dominex…
Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat.
She immediately called Mandy. “Tell me more about the project situation.”
Mandy ducked into a stairwell for privacy. “Ansonic says the order came directly from Dominex’s CEO. The official reason was that recent negative publicity could impact the project and create repayment risks, so they needed to reassess. I know I shouldn’t say this as a Harmonex employee, but Dominex’s CEO is pretty badass”
“Apparently, that day Issac went to the Granthams and things got ugly. The Granthams threatened that if Issac wouldn’t marry Evelyn, they’d terminate the project. Issac shot back that… she lowered her voice further, “Issac said he only loves his wife! He only loves you! And he absolutely refused to marry Evelyn!”
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“Right as the families were having this blowout, Jayden’s assistant rushed in with the urgent news about the loan being frozen. Talk about perfect timing! It’s like Zarek has some kind of sixth sense,
Charlotte: “That is impressive!”
After a pause, she asked. “So is the project really dead?”
Mandy: “Jayden’s been camping in Issac’s office every day. Nobody knows if they’re discussing his sister or the project. They’ve gone to Dominex together twice, but Zarek won’t see them.”
Charlotte’s heart beat faster.
So Zarek had immediately stepped in to help her
He hadn’t just made the Woods and Granthams suffer in the moment–he was ensuring their discomfort would
continue.
obably wanted
She could imagine Amanda getting berated mercilessly for stirring up trouble, and the Granthams probably to lock Evelyn away.
Business people prioritize profit. The Granthams‘ project threats were just bluffs that Issac recognized as empty. But Zarek freezing the loan was very real–not a joke at all.
After ending the call, Charlotte stood in the yard for a long time. Under the clear sky, with the endless blue ocean the distance, brilliant sunshine, and gentle clouds…
She had to admit, having someone powerful in your corner felt… pretty damn good.
The drive from Stonington to New York took about six hours.
By her calculation, she’d arrive in the city around 8 PM.
Charlotte was in good spirits the entire journey.
Her chest felt completely unburdened. She swore she would give Dominex her absolute best, to the last breath if
necessary!
in
At 7 PM.
As she left a restroom at a service area and returned to the parking lot, she noticed a man standing on a nearby patch of grass, talking on his phone. Something about him made her pause.
She realized she’d seen him at the first service area too….
She’d felt something odd then, but now she understood why–three days ago, when she’d stopped at a convenience store for food, this same man had been in the store!
Charlotte’s heart rate immediately spiked.
She slipped her hand into her coat pocket, keeping her expression neutral as she calmly got into her car.
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Instead of driving away immediately, she locked the doors, put on an eye mask, and reclined her seat as if preparing to nap.
She left a large gap below the mask that allowed her to see the area in front of her clearly
The man was now standing by the road smoking. He appeared to be in his thirties, average height, with tanned skin, wearing a T–shirt under a jacket with jeans–the kind of unremarkable appearance that blends into a crowd. He continued his phone conversation, laughing and smiling, but his gaze occasionally drifted toward her car.
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