Chapter 96
Though he was smiling and his tone seemed friendly, Charlotte felt a chill run down her spine.
Internal panic mode: activated.
She was so screwed.
His reaction, combined with those dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, told her everything… He. Had. Seen. The. Text.
Charlotte’s smile froze on her face. She couldn’t meet his eyes, so she looked down, clearing her throat awkwardly. “…I slept okay. But I had a bit to drink last night. Was completely out of it, seeing double, you know how it is. Ha ha.”
Zarek’s expression turned cool.
The smile vanished completely.
His eyes took on an unsettling gleam. “Alcohol isn’t an excuse.”
Charlotte: “No, really, when I drink my vision gets really, really bad. My fingers don’t cooperate at all. It’s like… it’s like… She searched for the right description. “Like my body was possessed.”
Zarek gave a short, dubious laugh. “Keep the excuses coming.”
Charlotte:
Her expression turned earnest, as if making a solemn vow: “It was honestly just a typo!”
Even half–asleep, she would never have called him “baby” intentionally. There was only one explanation: her brain and fingers had miscommunicated.
Zarek seemed tired of her denials. “No need to explain further. If you’re brave enough for a ‘typo‘ now, next time it’ll be a verbal ‘slip.‘ Refusing to own up to your actions isn’t very professional, Ms. Whitmore.”
He was looking at her like she was someone who’d gotten what she wanted and then pretended it never happened.
Charlotte felt close to cardiac arrest.
Wait–he seriously thought she’d done it on purpose?
She wasn’t suicidal enough to flirt with him intentionally. Did he think she had a death wish?
Rex and Liam listened with completely bewildered expressions.
If they remembered correctly, Charlotte had said she would go straight to the office. Why had she come upstairs.
instead?
Neither of them understood what was happening.
12:10
The Moment I Lot Go My Ucle: Escaping the Forbidden Past
Zarek dabbed his mouth with a napkin “Me Whitmore did the way ng kays got in say ZKA MAFATTE
didn’t s and explain her…. typo, did the?”
As he spoke, he rested his hand near his phone, his long fingerstepping signty.
Charlotte’s heart stuttered at the pesture
Did he know she’d come to delete the evidenced
She set the strawberry mousse cake she’d been clutching onto the table. “This cake is really delirions. That’s a wanted to say. Goodbye”
She turned to leave immediately.
“Since you’re already here, why run away? Come back, Zarek called after her.
Charlotte froze mid step.
She turned around and reluctantly walked back, steeling herself
Zarek asked Liam to open the cake and bring it over.
He took a small taste, then pulled out his phone and started taking photos. After a moment, he made a small sound of dissatisfaction. “Ms. Whitmore, come help me take these pictures.
Rex and Liam exchanged confused glances
One person mysteriously delivering cake was strange enough, but their boss wanting photos of it?
Charlotte sensed a trap.
She could practically smell the devious machinations of this ruthless capitalist.
The moment he handed her his phone, divine inspiration struck. This was the perfect opportunity to destroy the
evidence!
Once there was no proof, she could deny ever sending that message.
She quickly opened his WhatsApp.
From beside her came his impossibly calm voice, raising goosebumps on her arms. “Be careful. Ms. Whitmore. Don’t accidentally delete anything important with your typo prone fingers.”
Charlotte tensed. Of course not.”
She nodded obediently, then proceeded to delete the message without batting an eye.
One typo is a typo, and a second typo is still just a typo.
Having deleted the horrifying chat history, she felt somewhat calmer. She quickly took a few photos and handed the
phone back “All done.”
Zarek took it back
A moment later, Rex was horrified to discover that his boss had posted to Instagram.
Holy shit!
Holy shit!
HOLY SHIT!!
Liam, being more composed, simply smiled like a proud father and was the first to hit the like button.
Charlotte noticed Rex’s expression of existential dread. “What’s wrong?”
Rex covered his face with one hand, as if unable to bear the sight, and extended his phone toward her. “See for
yourself.”
Charlotte took one look and was left speechless.
Zarek had posted a photo grid of the strawberry cake with no caption, but he’d added an emoji… a yellow round face with closed eyes and a shy smile….
It would have been a perfectly normal emoji for anyone else, but coming from Zarek… it was jarring beyond belief!
What exactly was he being shy about??
Zarek stood up. “Let’s go to the office.”
He walked out.
Rex and Charlotte followed.
In the elevator.
Charlotte stood behind Zarek, staring at his back.
She realized her perception of her new boss had been too rigid and limited. When he wasn’t being cold and aloof… he could be downright mischievous.
And completely unconcerned about the mental health of others.
Rex was still fixated on the emoji. In the elevator, he couldn’t help leaning close to Zarek’s ear. “Sir, did you use the wrong emoji? That one means ‘shy. Fearing Zarek might not understand, he added, “Like, teenage girl shy.”
Zarek’s expression remained cool. “Is that so? Oh well, maybe it was a typo,”
Charlotte’s eyes widened in disbelief. “..?!!
No way!
Chapter
No!
He’d been waiting for her! He was he was completely insane!
Rex tried again. “Would you like me to help you change it?”
Before their collective sanity was destroyed. It was genuinely disturbing
Zarck: “I won’t change it.”
Rex wanted to say he knew how to fix it, but one glimpse of his boss’s darkening expression made him shut his
mouth.
Charlotte felt her soul leaving her body.
He was truly messed up.
Seriously. MESSED. UP!
On the way to the office, Charlotte and Rex were as quiet as church mice.
Meanwhile, Zarek’s post was causing mass hysteria online.
Someone who never posted suddenly sharing something was bizarre enough.
But the combination of a sweet strawberry cake and a shy emoji from someone with his personality? People were losing their minds.
The comments section exploded, direct messages poured in, and calls wouldn’t stop.
Especially from his siblings.
“Bro, if you’ve been kidnapped, type 1.”
“Bro, if you’re dating someone, type 2.17
“Bro, if you’ve gone insane, type 3.”
Zarek blocked them all and muted his phone.
At the Weasley mansion.
Arthur was already in the car, about to leave for work, when Cecelia pulled him back out. “Something’s happening
with our son.”
Seeing his wife’s serious expression, Arthur felt a wave of anxiety. What is it? He’s not really with that Lowell boy. is he?
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cecelia swatted him, smiling as she opened her phone. “Look at this Strawberry
cake–something only girls really love. And that emoji! I bet some girl made him post it. But you know our son–he wouldn’t do it unless he actually liked her
“A girl is wonderful news Arthur had been having nightmares about his son’s sexuality, worried about facing hin
ancestors.
“I wonder who she is.. Could it be the one who called him the other day?”
“That was Ms. Whitmore’s friend.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Arthur felt a jolt of realization.
Cecelia led a sheltered life and rarely engaged with gossip. He’d instructed everyone not to tell her about their son’s injury to spare her worry.
She knew about Charlotte Whitmore and was aware that she was their son’s new assistant, but she had been remarkably accepting, stating they were outsiders who shouldn’t meddle in others’ private matters. Hiring should be based on ability.
But what if she discovered that their son had rushed to save Charlotte, and that his decision to freeze Ansonic’s loan
partly motivated by a desire to protect her? Would she remain so open–minded?
was
True, Charlotte was competent and had proven herself. Giving her special consideration wasn’t unreasonable, and helping someone in danger was only natural. From Liam’s descriptions, their relationship seemed purely professional.
But his son’s post today had clearly been taken in the penthouse.
And recently, there had been only one woman in his immediate circle….
“What are you thinking about?” Cecelia nudged him, noticing his serious expression.
Arthur: “Nothing important. I just think we might be reading too much into this. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”
“You just mentioned Ms. Whitmore.”
