RedNovelRegret 94 Night had fallen.
The hospital corridor was hushed, the world outside reduced to a distant memory Inside the ICU, Charlotte and her mother Rachel took turns keeping watch over the patient. When it was finally Rachel's turn to rest, Charlotte made sure to gently tuck a blanket around her before quietly slipping out and closing the door behind her.
As she turned, she nearly collided with Evander, flanked by two bodyguards, striding down the hallway.
She stiffened, instantly wary. "What do you want?" Evander's expression darkened, but his voice was calm as he straightened his tie. "My men will keep watch here tonight. You don't need to stay." The two bodyguards exchanged a silent look and nodded politely to Charlotte.
She was unmoved. "That's not necessary. The Sterling family handles its own affairs. This doesn't concern you, Mr. Howard." She tried to walk away, but Evander caught her arm before she could get far.
With a subtle gesture, he sent the bodyguards to wait, then guided Charlotte into the fire escape stairwell.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe yanked her arm free, glaring at him. "What are you playing at, Evander? Trying to put on a show for someone? Or is this another one of your games, just for Tricia's benefit?" "Charlotte." He gripped her shoulders, backing her firmly against the wall. The tension in him was palpable, veins standing out on the backs of his hands. "I had nothing to do with what happened to Hiram. I didn't even know about it." "If it wasn't you, then it must've been Tricia." "Does every bad thing that happens have to be her fault?" Charlotte held his gaze, unflinching.
Since the accident with Hiram, every encounter with Evander left her with one overwhelming urge: to get as far away from him as possible.
And right now, that desire was stronger than ever.
She laughed bitterly. "If not her, then who?" 1/3 08:46 "I've already set an investigation in motion.
"I don't trust you." The words dropped between them, heavy and final, smothering the air.
Evander stared at her, his eyes unreadable.
As she tried to push past him, he caught her wrist and yanked her close. She lost her balance, colliding hard with his chest, her body pressed flush against his.
"You-" she started, but before she could finish, he tipped her chin up and kissed her.
Charlotte's mind went blank, her body instinctively struggling against him.
Evander pinned her back against the wall, caging her in so tightly she couldn't move.
In all six years of their marriage, this was the first the'd kissed her while completely sober.
She didn't know what to make of it-didn't even know what to call it.
Their shadows tangled together on the floor, more ephemeral than real, their bodies locked in a confusion as fierce as it was unexpected.
For a moment, she could barely breathe under the force of his kiss. Only then did she cto her senses, desperate enough to bite down on his lip. He grunted, pain flickering across his face, a bead of red staining his lower lip.
She raised her arm to slap him, but he caught her wrist easily, pulling her back into his arms. "Didn't get enough earlier today?" She felt dazed, her mind spinning, unable to speak.
Six years of marriage, and she'd gotten used to his coldness, his indifference. He'd always made it ve clear that there was no room in his heart for anyone but Tricia, leaving Charlotte to play the fool, again and again. She had grown used to it.
She was even ready to let go.
But now, with one unexpected gesture, he'd thrown everything into chaos.
The scent of him-clean laundry, nothing artificial-wrapped around her, unsettling nerves she'd trained herself to numb for years.
All it took was one careless touch, and her carefully constructed calm crumbled into a storm.
Looking down at the silent woman in his arms, Evander's yo er's voice softened, low and steady. Go back. My men are here. Nothing will happen."
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