Chapter 210
“Yes, I broke the contract,” Samantha said, not even bothering to explain herself. She just smiled, casual and unbothered. “So what if there’s a penalty? I can pay.”
She really could pay. Steven did some quick math in his head. The breach fee had to be at least thirty million. He had no idea if Samantha was doing this to help SKC save face or just to get revenge on behalf of Charlotte.
Charlotte Steven’s brow furrowed as he made up his mind. Maybe Charlotte wasn’t as useless as he’d thought. If he brought her home and raised her right, she might even help him climb up in the world someday.
With no room to negotiate, the manager stormed out, furious, and called his lawyer as soon as he was through the door.
Elizabeth just stood there, frozen and pale, never expecting things to go down like this. By the time she snapped out of it, Samantha had already taken Charlotte and left.
“Mom!” Olivia whined, tears of frustration rolling down her cheeks. “Did I do something terrible to Charlotte in a past life? Why does she always ruin everything for me?”
“Don’t cry, sweetheart. I won’t let all your hard work go to waste,” Elizabeth promised, her voice low as she watched Charlotte leave, her eyes cold and sharp. “I’ll find you the perfect dress for your competition, I promise.” If Charlotte thought she could block Olivia’s path to the top, she was dreaming.
Outside, Samantha took Charlotte straight to another high-end boutique. Charlotte did everything she could to stop Samantha from buying out the entire store. In the end, she was still forced to accept several gorgeous outfits. When Samantha heard some of the clothes were for friends, she picked out a few more sets for Shirley and Stella, too.
Shirley sat in shock by the garden wall, holding onto her shopping bags like she’d been struck by luck itself. She didn’t even care about the brand names-what mattered was that the clothes were from Kenneth’s mom. She could brag about this for her whole life. She must have done something amazing in a past life to get to know Charlotte.
Samantha reached for Charlotte’s hand, gently ruffling her hair. Her eyes were soft, almost impossibly warm. “Your grandpa hasn’t announced your identity yet. He just doesn’t want to distract you from your studies.”
Charlotte nodded, all understanding. “I get it.”
“Lottie, you don’t have to be scared. The Gates family is your home now. Your grandpa, Kevin, me, and your three brothers-we’re all here for you.”
Charlotte smiled, just a little, but it was real. “I know.”
Samantha brushed a hand across
Charlotte’s cheek, her eyes
glistening with unshed tears. “I’ve missed your mom so much all these years And I missed you, too.” She took a shaky breath I’m just so grateful you’re safe and back us.” S
Nora and Samantha had been best friends, closer than sisters, and then they’d become family for real. When Nora disappeared… Samantha had searched for months, barely eating, barely sleeping, crying until her eyes almost gave out.
“I’m back now,” Charlotte said quietly, giving Samantha’s hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay.”
After saying goodbye to Samantha and Shirley, Charlotte headed down to the garage. She grabbed her motorcycle, planning to visit Stella at the hospital. She’d just gotten on the bike when her phone rang-Anthony was calling.
She was about to answer, but the screen suddenly went dark. Dead battery. Charlotte frowned, realizing she hadn’t brought a charger. There was nothing she could do, so she just tossed the phone into her bag, put on her helmet, and rode out of the garage in style.
At the Blair Group offices, Anthony sat at his desk, staring at his phone after the call dropped. His expression grew darker by the second. She wouldn’t spend the night with him, ignored his calls during the day and now he couldn’t even reach her because her phone was dead.
Had some cheerful young guy really swept her away? He let out a bitter laugh. She’d kissed him and then ghosted him.
Frustrated, Anthony canceled all his meetings, grabbed his jacket, and left his office, a storm brewing in his eyes. Hans, watching him go, shivered. Was Anthony really going to track Charlotte down in person?