After taking the photos, Sean handed the phone back to Charlotte, his expression calm and unreadable.
His tone was casual, almost indifferent. “You got a message from a friend.”
“Huh? Let me see.
Charlotte glanced at the screen, and her expression stiffened.
She knew that texts automatically popped up as a banner not fleation, Sean must have seen it.
Feeling a little guilty, she tumed to him, quickly explaining, “Ex–boyfriend. It’s over.”
“Mm.” Sean’s reaction was neutral,
utral, his gaze giving nothing away.
Charlotte took a deep breath, feeling oddly flustered. “I already blocked him on the messaging app. I just forgot to block his number.”
Why was she even nervous? She was twenty–five. Having an ex was completely normal.
Besides, she had dated Zac before agreeing to the engagement. She hadn’t done anything wrong–so why
why did it
feel like she had?
Realizing how ridiculous it was, she steadied herself, “I’ll block him now.”
Right in front of Sean, she pulled up her contacts, tapped Zac’s number, and added it to her black list.
Then, as if to reassure him, she said lightly, “Don’t worry. Since I agreed to this engagement, my ex is nothing but the past.”
Sean gave a small nod, his dark eyes revealing nothing. His expression remained unreadable.
But the moment Charlotte turned away, a faint smile flickered across his lips.
After spending a few days traveling with Sean, Charlotte finally flew back to Jersey City.
She hadn’t told her family she was returning today, so no one was there to pick her up. Instead, Sean’s assistant was waiting at the airport.
A sleek black Rolls–Royce Cullinan pulled up in front of the Riley estate.
“Want me to go in with you?” Sean asked.
Charlotte shook her head. “No need.”
“Alright.”
She stood at the gate, hesitating for a moment.
Sean seemed to notice but didn’t linger.
Once his car drove off, Charlotte took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. When she had left three years ago, she hadn’t taken her house keys.
Now, returning home like a guest, she felt complicated.
The door swung open, revealing Mrs. Coleman, the housekeeper.
The woman froze, staring at her in shock. “M–Miss Charlotte, you’re back?” Her voice trembled slightly, thick with emotion
Charlotte’s heart clenched. She nodded softly. “Mm.”
Mrs. Coleen’s eyes welled up. “You’re finally home. This is wonderfull I’ll call your father right away.”
“He’s not home?”
“No, Mr. Riley is at the office. Mrs. Riley went to your sister’s school for a parent event.”
Neither of them was home. Charlotte let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding
She had just returned home and needed a moment to breathe. She wasn’t ready to face them yet. Just the thought of her stepmother, half- sister, and the father she had been at odds with for years gave her a headache.
She made her way upstairs to her bedroom.
-25 Bonus
Everything was exactly as she had left it. The fumiture, the decorations–It was all the same. 7h
cleaning it regularly.
She unpacked, put her things away, and took a long shower.
room was spotless, as if someone had been
When she stepped out, a gentle knock sounded on the door. “Miss Charlotte, what would you like for dinner? I’ll go buy the ingredients now.”
Charlotte pulled the door open and smiled. “Same as before.”
“Of course!” Mrs. Coleman beamed, her joy unmistakable.
She had been with the Riley family for over a decade and had watched Charlotte grow up. To her, Charlotte was like a daughter.
The night Sue passed away, she was the one who found little Charlotte collapsed in the snow and carried her inside.
After losing his wife, Desmond fell into despair, too overwhelmed with grief to care for his daughter.
When Charlotte came down with a relentless fever, it was Mrs. Coleman who stayed by her side at the hospital, tending to her day and night.
Charlotte had been devastated by her mother’s passing. She barely ate and barely spoke.
But Mrs. Coleman stayed with her through it all, comforting her, patiently coaxing her to eat, no matter how many times it took.
