Chapter 331
Charlotte waved with a smile. “Bye.”
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She didn’t turn back until Scott and the others had walked off into the distance. Then she shifted her gaze to her best friend, Mia.
Crossing her arms, Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “Alright, talk. What’s going on between you two?”
Mia swallowed nervously. Her face was flushed as she bit her lip “Lotrie, 1..”
“Can’t say it?” Charlotte cut her off, then turned her sharp gaze to Lan. “Ian, why don’t you explain.”
“Luttie, don’t look at me like that,” Lan said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “That look’s kind of seary,
“This isn’t the place to talk, Charlotte said firmly “Let’s go somewhere else.”
Jan gave an awkward smile. “Mia and I were just about to grab dinner. We booked a private room upstairs–want to join us?”
“Sure.”
Charlotte followed Mia and tan back into the elevator, her mind a whirlwind of emotions
She had known lan for years. He had always been like an older brother to her. Then lan’s father married Mia’s mother, and Mia became his stepsister. Charlotte had watched them go from awkward acquaintances to being practically glued to each other. But to her, they were just incredibly close siblings. She never imagined they had actually end up like this.
When they entered the private room, Charlotte’s brows furrowed.
It was clearly a couple’s suite.
The room was beautifully decorated. Roses stood in a vase
in a vase on the table, and petals were scattered across the glass surface. Soft candlelight flickered warmly, giving the whole space a romantic glow.
Charlotte sighed and pulled out a chair without hesitation. “Alright–when did this start?”
It wasn’t that she was trying to be harsh
She and Mia were closer than sisters.
And lan? She had always treated him like family. Now he had gone and fallen for her best friend?
rlotte felt like her world had tilted. It was like someone had snatched her best friend, and the culprit was the last person she ever expected. Sure, Ian was handsome, had a good family background, and wasn’t exactly a terrible catch. But something about this just felt.. wrong. She couldn’t shake the feeling,
Mia avoided Charlotte’s eyes. Her gaze darted to the floor, her voice barely above a whisper. “… it hasn’t been long
“How long exactly?” Charlotte pressed.
Mia bit her lip. “That night at the bar… when I said I wanted to h
to hire a male escort for you, lan gor jealous. After we got home, things just kind of…”
Charlotte’s anger flared. She whipped her head toward lan, her eyes starp “so you forced it? Is this some twisted enemics–to–lovers fantasy?”
len scratched his head, looking embarrassed. “Something like that… but Mia has feelings for me too! I didn’t force her.”
Charlotte tumed to M. “Is that true?”
Mia nodded faintly. “Yeah….. it is ”
Charlotte sighed and rubbed her temples. “How did it even get to this point? Aren’t y
you two worried what your parents will think?”
Lan’s expression turned serious. “They don’t know yet. But if anything happens, I’ll take responsibility”
“Take responsibility?” Charlotte snapped. “Do you have any idea how brutal people can be? Do you think you can just take the blame and everything will be fine? What happens when the gossip starts–when people say Mia seduced her own brother?”
Her voice trailed off. She couldn’t bear to say the rest out loud
The things people said blind closed doors would be far worse than what she had just voked
She didn’t want to see her best friend dragged through the mud, humiliated and judged by everyone around her.
