Chapter 589
She hesitated, the words stuck in her throat. She wanted to say, Please don’t ever give up on Anthony. But she couldn’t quite bring herself to say it out loud.
Lottie was amazing-beautiful, smart, the kind of girl everyone noticed. These days, young people were all about romance and sweet talk, always knowing just what to say to win someone over. Honestly, she couldn’t help but worry about her son.
Not far away, Anthony caught the exchange and let out a soft, helpless laugh, pinching the bridge of his nose. His own mom, calling him old right in front of Charlotte. It was almost impressive.
Charlotte caught on to what was happening immediately. She smiled, polite and a little playful, and took the box from Lavinia. “Thank you,” she said.
Seeing her accept the gift, both women lit up. Charlotte was no fool—she knew what this meant. Taking the gift was a quiet promise that she wasn’t going to walk away from Anthony anytime soon.
After dinner, Lavinia outdid herself, producing several more boxes, each packed with gorgeous jewels. Charlotte hesitated, eyebrows knitting together as she looked over at Anthony. Wasn’t it a bit much to accept so many expensive things?
Anthony just smiled, hand resting lightly at her waist as he put more food in her bowl. “My mom wants you to have them. Just take it. She’s got more money than she knows what to do with.”
Charlotte blinked, a little surprised. Anthony really was the picture of a good son.
“If you say so,” she finally agreed. Only then did the staff move to load everything into the car.
…
After dinner, on the drive back to Imperial Heights, Charlotte leaned into Anthony, turning the emerald necklace over in her hands, admiring how it caught the light.
Anthony’s chin came to rest on her shoulder, his eyes warm as he watched her. “That necklace is the Blair family heirloom,” he said softly. “You know what that means, right? Now that you’ve accepted it, you can’t just run off and leave me.”
He laughed quietly and pulled her a little closer, voice low. “Got it?”
Charlotte looked up at him, her gaze meeting his. “You’re kind of
“Hmm?” he murmured, watching her closely.
“You’re not very confident, are you, Anthony?” she teased, tapping his lips with her fingertip.
He caught her hand, grinning, and pulled her into his lap, his chin brushing her forehead. “Didn’t you
hem? I’m old, I can’t compete with
allt
those younger guys… so
Before he could finish, Charlotte leaned in and kissed him, her lips warm and sure.
The kiss quickly deepened, the air
between them heating up. Then,
suddenly, Anthony felt a sharp sting on bis lip, followed by
he metallic..
tang of blood.
He pulled back, breath a little uneven, eyes searching Charlotte’s face. “What happened?”
Charlotte just smiled, her eyes narrowing playfully as she wiped the blood from his mouth with her thumb. “I’m not interested in just anyone.”
She paused, her voice slow and teasing. “And I take responsibility for my actions. If
I sleep with you, I take responsibility.”
Anthony’s laugh was low and rough. “And what does that look like?”
Charlotte’s fingers slid along his jaw, her face close to his, her words,
line
her famise. “It means I’ll sleep with
soft
you for the rest