Chapter 197
After Lottie left, the hall that had been filled with chatter suddenly went quiet.
“Dad, when are we going to announce Lottie’s identity?” Kevin asked, his face serious.
Nora was already the family’s treasure, but Lottie was even more precious, the one they cherished most.
Robert took a moment before answering. He looked thoughtful, almost weighed down by the decision. “This isn’t something we can just rush into,” he finally said, his tone careful.
Kevin nodded right away. “Absolutely. We can’t let Lottie feel even a little bit neglected.”
“She has her entrance exams coming up. If word gets out about who she is, it’s just going to make everything harder for her.” Robert was quiet for a second, then continued, “Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll start preparing now, but the homecoming banquet will happen after her exams are over.”
“I’ll handle it myself,” Kevin said, his voice steady.
For the CEO of the Gates Group to take charge of the homecoming banquet, everyone would know just how much it mattered.
“Also, make sure Donald and Roger hear about this. They care about Lottie too.” Kevin nodded. “Got it. What about the Main family?”
At the mention of them, Robert’s face turned cold. “If they know what’s good for them, they’ll stay away from Lottie. If they try anything, they’ll regret it.”
Outside the Gates Estate, the night was quiet and the air carried a cool breeze.
Anthony was leaning against his car, tall and sharp in the dim light. He held Charlotte’s backpack in one hand, a lit cigarette in the other. Smoke curled around his face, giving him a mysterious look that was impossible to ignore.
sfate.
“Anthony, it’s
Do you think Ms.
Main is coming out?” Hans asked, eyeing the pile of cigarette butts near Anthony’s feet. It made sense that shed want to spend more time, with her family now that she’d found them.
BUMS
at
Anthony blew out a smoke ring and looked over at the distant Gates Estate a little smile tugging his lips, She’ll come back,” he said, sounding sure of himself.
Hans was still trying to figure out what made Anthony so confident when two familiar figures appeared down the path.
“Anthony, it’s Ms. Main and Kenneth.”
Anthony looked up. When he spotted Charlotte, her chin tucked into the collar of her school uniform so that only her bright eyes peeked out, his smile grew wider.
He flicked his cigarette to the ground and walked over to her, his steps long and easy.
“Done talking?” He stopped in front of Charlotte, reaching for her hand without even thinking about it. His voice dropped low, gentle just for her.
“Yeah,” Charlotte nodded, taking her backpack from him and standing close.
Anthony checked the time. Midnight. After a full day at school and all the family drama, she had to be exhausted.
“Get in the car first,” he said softly, smoothing her hair back. “I just need a quick word with Kenneth. I’ll be right there.”
Charlotte glanced at Kenneth, who was clearly not thrilled about any of this. She bit her lip and slipped into the car.
Now it was just Anthony and Kenneth standing outside.
They locked eyes for a moment.
“Anthony, we’ve known each other a long time. There are things we need to be clear about,” Kenneth said, his gaze steady and his tone serious Lottie
is everything to us. She’s our little sister, our treasure. If you’re just playing with her, you should stop nów. And if you ever hurt her, I’ll be the first one coming after you.”