Chapter 31
+25 Schus
Wendy sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled out her phone.
“Look, Zac,” she said eagerly, showing him the screen. “I found this great travel guide for our trip. We can do a road trip, hire two drivers, and explore at our own pace. Silverridge is huge, so driving will be way more convenient. After Lake Kessler, we can also visit—”
At that moment, Zac realized that Wendy was really annoying.
His head was already pounding, and now she was talking his ear off, going on and on. It was grating.
If it were Charlotte, she would be worried about him. She would have made him oatmeal, sat by his side, and fed him spoonful by spoontul.
“Enough.” Zac cut her off Impatiently. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. I’m tired.”
Wendy rucked her phone away, lowering her head, looking hurt.
Wendy’s voice was laced with hurt. “Zac..nre you getting tired of me?”
Zac let out a heavy sigh. No matter how annoyed he was, he couldn’t bring himself to be too harsh with her.
“No, I just have a headache. The trip isn’t urgent. Let’s talk about it when I’m feeling better.”
“Okay.” Wendy leaned into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist, her touch soft and affectionate.
In a private lounge at an upscale club in Jersey City, a group of wealthy young men sat around a card table, casually playing.
Jordan Zeller, always the observant one, caught sight of the watch on Sean’s wrist. With a cigarette between his fingers, he smirked. “New
Sean placed down a card, his grin stretching almost to his ears. “Nice, right? Charlotte gave it to me.*
lan Quinton clicked his tongue. “Damn, must be nice having a fiancée. You’re really living the good life now
Jordan frowned slightly, clearly puzzled “Wait–how did you end up engaged to the Riley family? Was it your parents‘ idea? It doesn’t add up.”
He and Charlotte ran in the same circles, but in their world, not all families were on equal footing.
Sean’s family, the Jaspers, held the most power and influence. As the family’s heir, his marriage should have been a strategic move–one
aligned with another powerhouse.
The Idleys, while prominent in business, were nowhere near that level.
Sean chuckled, his gaze soft. “It’s not an arranged marriage.!
lan nearly dropped his cards. “What? Then what is it?”
Sean leaned back casually glancing at his cards. “Three years ago, I went to Desmond Riley myself.
that
“I waited for Charlotte to graduate. The moment she did, I made my move. I told him–name your price. Whatever it takes, I want to marry her.”
His eyes gleamed as he spoke, like a man finally claiming something he had chased for years
lan clicked his tongue. “Damn, you were into her all along? You hid it real well. I’yo known you for years and never had a clue.”
Jordan smirked. “Man, I always thought you weren’t into worsen. You could’ve just said you were crushing on Charlotte instead of making us wonder.”
Ian leaned in, intrigued. “So, when did this all start? When did you flest fall for her?”
is gaze from lils cards. “That’s a secret.”
Siçan barely lifted his p
“Oh, come on.” lan groaned. “You sure she even likes you back? She literally ran away from home to escape an arranged marriage. What if you’re just a convenient choice? That watch could just be a polite thank–you gilt.”
Jordan, always the blunt one, tossed our casually, “By the way, did you know she had a boyfriend?”
