Chapter 45
Sean gently coaxed, “Be good. You’re not a child anymore and I have a girlfriend now. Charlotte and I are getting engaged soon. It’s important to keep boundaries.”
Charlotte’s heart gave a subtle jolt.
She hadn’t expected Sean to turn Vivian down for her.
Vivian’s demeanor instantly shifted. Gone was the sweetness and her voice rose sharply.
“Boundaries? Between siblings? Seriously? So Charlotte’s really that petty? She pushed me off that horse and now you’re taking her side?”
Charlotte turned to leave.
She wasn’t shameless enough to stick around where she clearly wasn’t welcome.
If Vivian didn’t want her there, then she had no reason to force herself in.
But just then, Sean’s voice rang out, tinged with frustration. “Vivian, I’ve told you–Charlotte is your future sister–in–law. Don’t be disrespectful.” 1
At that moment, a nurse arrived with an IV drip. Spotting Charlotte by the doorway, she said, “Excuse me, coming through.”
Both Sean and Vivian turned to look.
Charlotte sighed and followed the nurse inside.
Vivian’s eyes narrowed with undisguised hostility. “What are you doing here?”
Almost at the same time, Sean spoke more gently. “Lottie, you
came.
The nurse began preparing the IV. Vivian’s glare didn’t waver. Her gaze was cold, sharp, and pointed directly at Charlotte.
But Charlotte didn’t flinch. She met Vivian’s stare head–on, her voice cool and even. “You’re saying I caused the horse to bolt?” Vivian hadn’t expected Charlotte to stay so calm. It threw her off a little.
Still, she quickly slipped back into character.
She didn’t respond right away. Instead, she turned toward Sean, her voice soft and trembling, eyes brimming with tears.
“Sean, I know I didn’t make the best impression when we first met but today, I really wanted to get along with Charlotte. She’s going to be my sister–in–law, so I thought maybe if she taught me how to ride, we’d bond a little…”
She sniffled, voice quivering. “I didn’t expect her to hate me that much. While I wasn’t looking, she suddenly kicked the horse and it went wild. I was terrified.”
Her tearful accusations poured out. “Charlotte, I get it if you don’t like me. But I’ve never done anything to you. Why would you want to hurt me like that?”
She paused, sneaking a glance at Sean, trying to gauge his reaction.
Sean’s brows drew together slightly, but his tone remained calm.
“Lottie, what exactly happened at the stables this afternoon?”
Under the blanket, Vivian’s uninjured hand curled tightly into a fist.
He didn’t believe her.
He actually didn’t believe her.
Why was he being so gentle with Charlotte?
Back in middle school, when girls bullied her, Sean had them expelled without hesitation.
In high school, when some thugs harassed her, he sent people to beat them so badly they ended up in the hospital
In college, when a stalker tried to secretly film her, Sean had his hand shattered.
But now after she had been thrown off a horse, covered in bruises and hooked up to an IV–he didn’t scold Charlotte at all.
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He didn’t even seem angry.
He was just calmly asking Charlotte what had happened.
Jealousy surged through Vivian like wildfire.
She wanted nothing more than to leap out of bed and slap Charlotte across the face.
