Chapter 410
Roger really didn’t hold back.
Charlotte kept her head down, carefully wiping the blood from Anthony’s lip with a cotton swab and some gauze. It took a few tries, but eventually she got it all off. She glanced at the bloodied swabs in the trash and pressed her lips together, her face hardening. The air in the room felt colder somehow, heavy with her silence.
“It’s nothing,” Anthony said. He watched her for a moment, then reached over and gently lifted her chin with his fingers, trying to reassure her. “Don’t worry, I won’t even have a scar. The face you like so much is staying exactly the way it is.”
Charlotte shot him a look. “At least you know what your strengths are.”
She liked his face, sure. But she liked all of him.
The first aid was done. Charlotte sat back down next to Anthony.
Before she could say anything, Emily stepped forward. She had that sweet baby face and always looked a little too cute. Charlotte had seen her at the office a few times, so she wasn’t a stranger.
“Anthony, I’m sorry,” Emily said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I jumped to conclusions and told you without checking the facts. And, Charlotte, I thought you were seeing other guys at the same time. I just didn’t want Anthony to get hurt. When I saw those photos of you with another man, I
She trailed off, not daring to say “catch you cheating.” When she finished, she peeked at Charlotte, anxious for her reaction.
Up until now, Charlotte had always dressed pretty conservatively. But today, she wore a plain white t-shirt, her long hair loose, no makeup at all. She looked stunning, the kind of beautiful that drew you in and made you lose track of your thoughts. Emily had seen plenty of gorgeous actresses, but none of them had Charlotte’s vibe. There was just something about her.
“I get it. I don’t blame you,” Charlotte said, giving her a little smile. Her tone was light, but her eyes slid over to Roger. “After all, you weren’t the one who started throwing punches. Isn’t that right, Roger?”
Roger’s heart skipped a beat and he stiffened, looking awkward.
He opened his mouth, but Charlotte cut him off. “I’m mad, but I should thank you too, Roger. You were just trying to protect me.”
Roger looked surprised, almost taken aback. He’d hit Anthony hard, and he figured Charlotte would be furious.
“Protecting you is something
everyone in the Gates family takes seriously,” Roger replied, his voice
gentle. His eyes flicked over to Anthony, full of warning, “No one gets to mess with you.”
Charlotte felt her heart soften, though her words were still a little cool. “But that
doesn’t mean you can hurt people I care about.”
Anthony just smiled, not saying
anything, and squeezed her handin
bis He couldn’t
help but feel lucky.
Ce was standing up
for him.
Once the tension eased and the drama faded, people started to leave. Soon it was
just Anthony, Charlotte, and Andrew left in the room.
The birthday party was supposed to be fun, but Anthony’s arrival had turned it unexpectedly serious.
།
“Enjoy yourself, but don’t drink,” Anthony said, tucking a loose strand of Charlotte’s hair behind her ear before giving her earlobe a gentle squeeze you’ve got one last recording session tonight, right?”
Charlotte nodded.
“I’ll wait outside for you and take you there.”
“Alright.”
Charlotte took his hand, running her thumb playfully over his palm, teasing him just
a little.