Chapter 318 A Life for Another
“Don’t you dare, or I’ll kidnap you and do… you know what. Wink, wink.”
“Are you sure?” Shane’s cold voice sounded.
Anne broke out in goosebumps and she almost screamed, “Charlotte, you’ve overlooked your friend after finding love. You allowed Shane to listen in on our conversation. How dare you?”
She hung up immediately.
Annoyed, Charlotte looked at the person beside her. “How did you know what I was saying?”
“Just a presumption.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. In her opinion, his presumption was a superpower.
She didn’t even put the phone on speaker. Shane figured out the gist of their conversation just from a “I wouldn’t dare.” He, too, puzzled out Anne’s answer. He understood Anne quite well.
“I’m going to pick up Anne in three days. Could you please ask for the address from Braden? If I ask Anne, she wouldn’t want to trouble me.”
“Sure.” Shane took out his phone and sent a text. The reply came quickly and Shane forwarded it to Charlotte.
Charlotte’s eyes lit up with joy as she held her phone. “Let’s surprise her.”
“Us?”
Since when had he been part of her plan?
“You’re not going? Then I’ll ask someone else. Rick should be available. He’s Anne’s brother anyway.” Charlotte said as she glanced in Shane’s direction.
“Charlotte, are you testing me?” He rolled over and pressed her under his body.
The intimacy of this position had an undercurrent of anticipation. Charlotte swallowed and continued, “If you’re not going with me, can’t I ask someone else?”
“Did I say I wasn’t going?”
“Then I didn’t say I would ask others.” She countered obstinately.
Shane kissed and stroked her. He wasn’t going to let up on her after that affront.
The night’s events left him feeling contented.NôvelDrama.Org is the owner.
…
The next day.
Shane was already gone when Charlotte woke up. He left a note in the living room informing her that he was in a meeting at the office. She should manage breakfast on her own and he’d return with lunch. Tonight, he’d go over the details of the press conference with her.
Charlotte looked at the note and stroked it. Her heart felt empty.
She was unable to face him after what had happened over the past few days, though she had already steeled herself for the worst.
Charlotte sat on the sofa with her laptop intending to work for a bit. However, she opened her email and realized Shane had already cleared her inbox. Furthermore, Shane’s replies were precise and much more methodical than hers.
“Why is he everywhere?” She muttered to herself as she clicked on her social media, planning to chat with someone.
“You are online.” It was Zoe.
It seemed that there was someone more anxious for a chat.
Charlotte replied, “Yeah, I just got up. What about you?”
Zoe said, “Peter woke up and had something to eat before falling asleep again. I’m just idling around.”
“Me too, I’m bored,” Charlotte added a sighing emoji.
Zoe initiated a video call. She wanted to chat to kill time, but they were just conversing aimlessly. Charlotte did most of the talking and she went along with it.
She was pleasantly surprised to hear that Anne was returning. “Great timing. I’ve only heard of her but I’ve never actually seen her.”
“Do you want to go with me to pick her up?” Charlotte invited.
“Sure.”
“That’s great.”
“Anne aside, Mr. Fuller should be your priority.”
At the mention of Shane, Charlotte’s mood immediately darkened. “I don’t know how to face him. I don’t even know if I like him.”
Charlotte was unaware that someone was at the door.
“If you don’t like Mr. Fuller, then what happens to Sheryl? After all, he is her biological father.”
The man at the door halted and silently placed the food on the kitchen counter.
Charlotte sighed. “I can’t be with Shane just for the sake of my child, can I? I feel as if I’d be living in Heidi’s shadow for the rest of my life. This is worse than being a replacement.”
“But Mr. Fuller is very kind to you.”
“Both Rick and Avery are good to me, yet I’m not attracted to them,” she responded in a low voice.
Charlotte knew in her heart that Shane was completely different from Avery and Rick. She was truly grateful to Rick, but there was no mutual trust between them.
Zoe frowned and wanted to persuade Charlotte, but she saw a man appearing on the corner of the screen. He leaned against the wall and looked at her with a vague smile.
Zoe swallowed and opened her mouth to greet him, but he gestured for her to stay silent. She lowered her head. “So, do you like Mr. Fuller or not?”
“I don’t know.”
Charlotte curled up on the sofa and said, “I don’t hate him, but I don’t like him.”
This time, Zoe was completely silent. She was afraid that if she misspoke, Shane would take this up with Peter.
Zoe cleared her throat and said, “Lottie, the nurse is calling me. Call me whenever, I’m always free.”
“All right.”
After ending the video call, Charlotte shut down the computer. Although Shane mentioned that he would bring back food, she was a little hungry. She was going to get some food first.
However…
She turned around.
Charlotte was so startled that her legs went limp. Her voice stuttered, “Sh- Shane.”
“Miss Charlotte was so passionate in bed yesterday. She had a change of heart today?” Shane took a step forward and grabbed her with a deep coldness in his eyes.
Passionate?
Was she passionate?
Charlotte attempted to push him away, but he tightened his hold. “Miss Charlotte thinks I treat her the same way Avery does?”
“I do not. I was just making a comparison.”
“How can you compare me with Avery?”
Charlotte wanted to cry but no tears came. She could only try to divert the conversation, “Why did you come back so early?”
“If I hadn’t, how would I know that I’m just a commodity to you?”
That was not what she meant.
Charlotte bit her lip, looking as if she might cry at any moment. She admitted she was feigning her expression, but it wasn’t all an act. She felt wronged, nevertheless, it was clear he cared about Heidi.
Shane flicked her chin and teased, “The woman in an open relationship with me doesn’t like me. Shouldn’t I be the one crying?”
“Do you really care if I like you?”
Charlotte found the courage to push him away.
Shane frowned and reached out to stop her retreat, but she slapped his fingers away and started crying.
This was not the first time Charlotte cried in front of him, but it was her first cry with no apparent reason.
“Heidi is dead,” he sounded rather miffed.
“What if she’s not dead?”
Shane was irritated by that possibility.
He stated coldly, “I wish more than anyone that she wasn’t gone.”
He wouldn’t allow anyone to make light of this matter.
“I wish more than anyone that I could exchange my life for hers.”
Charlotte turned and rushed out of the villa.