RedNovelRegret 203 When Evander lifted Charlotte into the car and softly closed the door behind them, the outside world faded away. All that remained in view was Abigail Sterling throwing a tantrum on the pavement and her aunt standing frozen in shock.
The rest of the onlookers whispered and gossiped about the Sterling family duo, but their words were now just a silent backdrop-Charlotte couldn't hear any of it anymore.
Evander gently traced his fingers over her slightly swollen cheek. Instinctively, she flinched away, but as if expecting it, he pulled her firmly into his arms. "Why didn't you chome?" he asked.
She looked exhausted. "Do I even have a hto go back to?" "Tranquility Manor is your home," he said, plucking the cheap hair clip from her hair and tossing it out the window. "Even their pearls are plastic. I have to wonder-just how much money did it take for Abigail to sell her own granddaughter?" Charlotte clenched her hands tightly in her lap, saying nothing.
Evander caught her chin between his fingers, turning her face to look directly at him. "You're making it harder and harder forto stop worrying about you." "I never asked you to worry, Mr. Howard." He frowned. "If I'm not supposed to worry about you, then who is? Jonathan Pembroke?" Charlotte tried to pull away from his embrace, but his arms only tightened, holding her close. Even beneath the gaudy, second-rate wedding dress, her beauty was impossible to hide; today's makeup made her look both innocent and beguiling.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe thought of her being handed over to a fool made his expression darken.
Just shutting down that steel factory wasn't enough.
When they arrived at Tranquility Manor, Evander took her straight to the bathroom. Without a word, he started to help her out of her clothes.
She collapsed into the bathtub, wrapping her arms around herself, her body trembling. "Don't touch me!" Evander pressed his lips into a thin line. After a moment, he averted his gaze. “Just change your clothes. I won't touch you." 7/2 Chapter 203 He left the bathroom, and only then did Charlotte begin to calm down. Even if Evander had saved her, she couldn't bring herself to trust him.
She couldn't trust anyone anymore.
Two days later, the steel factory was shut down. Her aunt's family lost millions. When her father learned it was because his daughter had crossed the Howard family, he personally made three trips to Howard Enterprises, but was turned away each time.
Abigail and her uncle even tried coming to the Sterling hto look for Charlotte, but Evander's security team sent them packing before they could even reach the front yard.
Charlotte's mother, Rachel, was cremated at the funeral home.
Evander had wanted to hold a memorial for her, but Charlotte refused. She buried Rachel beside Xavier in the cemetery, the process as simple and desolate as it was quiet.
Evander stayed with her at the graveside for a while, until he got a call from Natalie. He told her to cto Tranquility Manor if she needed anything.
Charlotte looked at him, hesitating, unable to find the words.
She truly didn't understand why Evander stayed with her. Was it pity because she'd lost both her parents? Or had spang of conscience finally caught up with him? Evander hung up the phone and met her gaze. "Did you want to say something?" She turned her eyes away. "No. Nothing." He stared at her for a long moment before turning away. "Let's go." Charlotte followed behind him.
They left the cemetery and climbed into the car together.
Back at Tranquility Manor, Evander got another business call and told Charlotte to head upstairs without him.
She hadn't planned on waiting for him anyway, so she took the elevator alone.
As soon as the doors slid open on her floor, she saw someone waiting outside her apartment-Tricia. Chapter 203
Hearing the elevator, Tricia Winthrop glanced over her shoulder with an smile, but when she saw it was Charlotte, the warmth faded from her expression. "Oh, it's you..." "If you're looking for Evander, he's downstairs," Charlotte said, brushing past her and entering the code at her door.
Just as she was about to step inside, Tricia suddenly spoke Charlotte) I'm really sorry about your mother. I did everything I could." Charlotte paused, turning back to her with a frown. "What do you mean?" Tricia faltered-Evander hadn't told her?
Something flickered in Tricia's eyes as she smiled, feigning innocence but unable to hide a trace of satisfaction. trace "It's just never expected you'd lose your father, and now your mother, too. Honestly, I never meant to bring up your brother in front of your mother. But she catfirst.”
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