Chapter 9
Charles was stunned. He looked at Olivia,who was now curled up on the ground like a beaten dog, “Olivia did you really say that?”
Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head desperately,
Rogerio clenched his fists, veins bulging on the back of his hand,
Just as the storm inside him was about to explode, a weak murmur came from his arms.
He immediately tensed,his brows furrowing
“How do you feel? Don’t be afraid. We’re going to the hospital right now.”
Before leaving,Rogerio glanced at the untouched bottles on the table.
“Since you all can’t tell the difference between alcohol and water,allow me to help you remember.”
“One bottle per person. Finish them all.”
“Elder Adams, I’ll leave it to you.”
The elderly man respectfully watched Rogerio leave,then turned to the still–stunned guests,his smile vanishing
“Drink up.”
More than a dozen bottles lined the table. No one could escape drinking at least one.
Olivia,already forced to drink half a bottle,was visibly pale with fear.
The others turned on her in anger.
“This is your fault! Why did you say it was water?”
“How could you force Charlotte Edwards to drink when she’s allergic?”
“She was about to leave–why did you have to force her to dance? What was the point?”
Tears welled up in Olivia’s eyes as she clutched Charles’s sleeve. “Charles, you believe me,right? I really saw her
switch glasses…”
“She’s too smart to do something that would put herself in danger.”
Charles hesitated but nodded. “That’s right. She must’ve done this to make me feel guilty…”
Elder Adams,growing impatient with the theatrics,slammed his cane against the floor.
“Young man,whatever issues you have with her,settle them later. Right now,we have business to take care of.”
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Chapter 9
Charles hesitated. “But Elder Adams the banquet is about to start. If we drink ourselves stupid now wouldn’t that be disrespectful to the host?”
“Oh Charles Elder Adams chudded darkly. “Do you think you can offend President White and all sit here like nothing happene
Everyone’s expressions changed
Charles licked his dry lips. “Elder Adams does President White know Charlotte Edwards?
“He’s never been to London before.”
“Just as I thought.” Charles breathed a sigh of relief. “There’s no way she knows someone that powerful.”
Olivia wiped her tears. “This is bad… Now President White has misunderstood us all because of her.”
“She’s really too reckless. She didn’t even think about you.”
Charles’s face darkened. “Ridiculous.”
Knock knock.
Elder Adams rapped his cane against the floor. “One last time–will you drink willingly,or shall I force you?”
When I regained consciousness,I found myself lying in a hospital bed.
Bzzz-
My phone vibrated on the nightstand. I instinctively reached for it and saw a string of missed calls from Charles.
The unread messages at the top were all from him.
“Charlotte Edwards,you’ve disappointed me.”
“I never expected you to care about me like Olivia does,but at least don’t stab me in the back.”
“Choosing to keep our marriage secret was the best decision I ever made.”
“Are you trying to seduce Rogerio just to provoke me? Forget it–someone like him would never look at damaged goods like you.”
“Explain everything to Rogerio,or don’t bother coming back.”
Memories of the banquet’s humiliation surged through me. My chest tightened,a violent cough shaking my frame.
A warm hand landed gently on my back,soothing me.
“Rebecca,how do you feel?”
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I froze,eyes widening in shock.
“What… What did you just call me?”
It had been so long since anyone called me “Rebecca” that I almost forgot that before becoming Charlotte Edwards.my name was Rebecca.
Once the young lady of River Biotechnology,the model student and top scholar everyone spoke highly of.
The name from the past brought back painful memories, and I instinctively pulled my hand back,curling into a ball.
“I’m sorry,I scared you,” the man’s voice trembled,suppressing his emotions. “Don’t be afraid,Rebecca. Take a good
look and see who I am.”
Perhaps his gentle reassurance calmed me,and my turbulent emotions slowly subsided.
I rubbed my eyes hard,and the man’s handsome features slowly began to merge with the young boy in my
memories.
“Are you Rogerio ?”
When I was five,my parents took me to a remote mountain village for a charity event.
A group of children,their clothes ragged,stood in front of us,each telling their sad stories.
But I immediately noticed the silent boy standing at the back of the group.
Compared to the other kids,he looked so frail and inconspicuous.
Yet,in that fleeting moment when our eyes met,I somehow grabbed my father’s sleeve.
“Dad.I want that little brother!”
My father,a well–known doting father,naturally listened to me.
So,Rogerio came with us back to London.
I didn’t know his full name; I just followed behind him,calling him Rogerio.
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