Chapter 218
On the second floor of a private villa, clothes lay scattered across the floor–men’s and women’s alike. A pair of tom black stockings dingled from the edge of the couch
Joseph lounged against the headboard, a cigarette resting between his fingers, his face filled with quiet satisfaction.
The woman beside him still wore a hazy, sultry expression, clearly lost in the afterglow,
His phone buzzed. Joseph took a slow drag from his cigarette before calmly answering
John’s respectful voice came through the line.
“Boss, the Rileys just held a press conference. They’ve officially announced the cancellation of the engagement with the Jasper family. Also, there’s a rumor spreading online that Sean was spotted entering a hotel with a top actress–looks like he’s cheating.”
Josephlet out a short, mocking laugh.
“So much for being the great romantic. Tums out he’s no different than his father. A shameless womanizer.”
John paused
“So.. what do we do about the Rileys?”
Joseph’s eyes narrowed in thought.
“Keep watching them. This might be a staged breakup just to throw me off.”
“Understood.”
“And pay special attention to Charlotte Riley. Track her movements. Report back the moment anything changes.”
After resting at home for a full day, Charlotte finally pulled herself together and returned to work at the law firm.
Things had been calm the past couple of days. No accidents. No strange disturbances. She and her family were safe and sound.
So breaking off the engagement really was for the best. At least that lunatic Joseph won’t bother us anymore,” Charlotte smiled bitterly to herself.
As she stepped into the firm, her coworkers greeted her warmly.
She returned their greetings with a polite smile, walking into her office in black leather mid–heeled shoes,
The firm had a strict dress code–professional attire and black shoes were mandatory. Today, Charlotte wore a black pantsult. Her long hair was neatly pinned up, concealing the dark circles under her eyes with concealer. A swipe of vintage red lipstick brought some color back to her face.
Compared to just a few days ago, she looked like a different person. No one could tell she had just been through a painful breakup.
Her supervisor handed her three new cases, and Charlotte quickly threw herself into work, analyzing each one with focus
Ever since Yvonne resigned, their new supervisor, Lily, had taken over.
Lily had no personal vendetta against Charlotte and wasn’t under anyone’s influence. With her arrival, work had been much smoother
That evening, Chudlotte stayed late to finish her tasks. Once she wrapped everything up and tumed off the office lights, she heard the faint sound of someone
Sher frowned slightly and stepped outside to check
The sound was coming from the assistant work area.
Unlike the attorneys, the legal assistants didn’t have private offices. They all worked in a shared space with partitioned desks.
Carlotte followed the sound and quickly spotted who it was—Jenny,
“Jen?” she said gently, walking over. “What’s wrong! Are you okay?”
pony hurriedly grabbed some tissues and wiped her eyes.
Miss Miley. Really.
Culotte pulled out the duine to her and sat down.
“Come on. You don’t need to put on a brave face with me. Talk to me. Maybe I can help
Jenny’s eyes were red, and she stayed quiet for a moment. Then, her voice trembling, she said, “It’s nothing serious, I just……….”
Just then, two coworkers walked by. Jenny quickly fell silent, not wanting anyone else to overhear
1/2
Charlotte immediately understood.
“Is it something you can’t talk about here? Do you have any plans tonight? If not, how about we grab dinner?
“I don’t have anything planned.” Jenny said, her voice soft
“Perfect. Go freshen up. Let’s go eat.”
+25 Bonus
Charlotte picked a Korean place she knew Jenny liked.
The restaurant had a classy vibe, dim lighting, and a cozy atmosphere.
Jenny had heard of the place. It was known to be upscale, with meals costing several hundred dollars per person
She looked a bit flustered.
“Miss Riley…isn’t this a little too fancy?“”
Charlotte gave her a warm smile,
“Let me take care of it. You don’t have to feel awkward. We’re friends”
After everything they’d been through with the Leonard siblings, Charlotte and Jenny had grown closer. They weren’t just coworkers anymore. They were friends.
Jenny still hesitated.
“I don’t know. I feel kind of bad.”
Charlotte waved her off.
“You’re feeling down, and I’m your friend. Of course I’m going to treat you to a good meal to cheer you up There’s nothing wrong with that.”
