Chapter 113
“I’m just happy my Lottie is such a polite girl.”
Anthony handed her the peeled apple, a faint smile curving his lips. “Go ahead and eat this,” he said softly. “I want to show you something.”
Charlotte took the apple and bit into it, her bright eyes following Anthony as he moved around the room.
A few minutes later, Anthony sat back down on the sofa and laid several sheets of paper in front of her. They looked like resumes, each with the photo of a well-known, top-rated private tutor.
Charlotte glanced up at him, silently wondering what this was all about.
“My brother’s in your class. Last night, I happened to see your grades,” Anthony said, lifting his eyes to hers, a teasing smile playing on his lips. “So, tell me, did you not try, or did you really not know how to do it?”
Charlotte chewed her apple, her gaze calm and steady. “If I’m struggling, are you going to hire a tutor for me?”
“First, take a look and see if there’s any teaching style you prefer.” Anthony reached for a napkin and gently dabbed away a bit of apple juice from the corner of her mouth. “If none of these work for you, we’ll come up with something else.”
Charlotte barely glanced at the papers, her pretty face scrunching up in a way that made her feelings obvious. Not a single one caught her interest.
Honestly, she thought, it wasn’t clear who would end up teaching whom.
“Or Anthony pulled his hand back, a spark of mischief in his eyes, his voice low and inviting. “Maybe I should tutor you myself?”
Charlotte froze, caught off guard, and stared at him for a moment. Only then did she remember who she was dealing with. Besides being a legendary CEO, he was a Cambridge grad—the kind of golden boy everyone in the upper circles talked about.
She tossed the apple core into the trash and reached for a napkin, but before she could, Anthony gently caught her wrist. His fingers were cool against her skin, sending a shiver up her arm.
“What’s wrong, you don’t believe I could be a good teacher?” He spoke softly, still wiping her hands for her.
“It’s not that.”
Charlotte leaned back on the sofa, looking completely relaxed, her pink bunny slippers tapping lightly on the rug. She glanced at him, her gaze serious. “Andrew didn’t do well on his last test. Did you punish him?”
She remembered Parrish saying if Andrew failed, he’d be in big trouble.
Anthony let out a quiet laugh. He finished wiping her hands but didn’t let go.
“I’m not a villain. I just made him do five practice tests as punishment. Plus, I’ve lined up tutors for every subject to come on weekends.”
Five tests in one night? That was basically torture. And six tutors taking turns-no wonder Andrew looked miserable.
Charlotte frowned, clearly not thrilled with the idea. She turned her face away a little, sounding defensive. “My grades aren’t that bad. I just wasn’t feeling well during the last exam.”
She didn’t lack understanding. She just hadn’t had enough time to finish.
Anthony’s lips curled into a lazy grin. “And what about the exam before that?”
Charlotte pressed her lips together, her eyebrows twitching just a bit. “That was an accident.”
It really was. She hadn’t taken her medicine, so her mind went fuzzy, and even thinking started to hurt.
Seeing her so adamant, Anthony chuckled quietly and squeezed her hand.
“So you think you’ll get second place on the next exam?”
Charlotte hadn’t expected Andrew tell him about that. She studied Anthony for a few seconds before artswering her tone even. “Try hard, there’s a chance.”
If I try hard…
Anthony knew what it took to rank near the top at Vanguard High.. Either she had real skill or well, his Lottie wasn’t the type to brag for nothing.
“Alright then. Try your best, and if you ever get stuck, just ask me, okay?”
Whether or not she aced the test, no one was going to kick her out.