From Desk to Altar: The CEO's Irresistible Bargain

"Do you think you're worthy to say you love me?" he scoffed, his voice laden with disbelief.

"Why can't I say it?" her eyes, brimming with tears, stared back at him with an innocence and sincerity that seemed almost too pure for this world." Does my affection humiliate you that much?" "It's not your affection; it's your manipulation that disgraces me."

"Manipulation? What have I ever taken from you?" she retorted, her mind too muddled to grasp his accusation. "Did I ever demand your wealth? After refusing it once, I never asked you for money again." "Did I lust after your power? I'm still just a humble assistant, cleaning and brewing coffee, without a hint of a raise."

"Have I ever misused your influence? Anyone can belittle or strike me, yet I never boasted about us."

She paused, then added in a haze of confusion, "Actually, that's not entirely true. I did confess to Chloe. I told her I despised her standing by your side, and I didn't want her marrying you."

Her murmured words went unnoticed as Liam's eyes grew darker with each passing moment.

"Your 'love'," he uttered cryptically, "is it all just an elaborate ruse?"

"Ruse? Why would you think that?" Charlotte was genuinely baffled. "What have I possibly lied to you about?"

Suddenly, as if struck by a bolt of clarity, she raised her voice, "You can't possibly believe that my love for you is a lie, that I'm deceiving you emotionally?"

But then her headache plunged her back into confusion. "Are you a fool? If I were deceiving you emotionally, wouldn't I be after something? If I don't want your money or power, what use would there be in deceiving you?" After a moment's thought, Charlotte looked up dully, "I'm not deceiving you. To love you without reciprocation is a losing game."

"Do you regret it?" Liam asked, the urgency in his voice betraying his composure.

Slowly, she shook her head, "No regrets."

She never regretted meeting him, nor did she regret falling for him. "Love is a gamble, and I accept whether I win or lose."

Liam's emotions were a tangled web now, more complex than before.

He realized that Charlotte might be right.

If her feelings were genuine, then none of her actions could be deemed manipulative.

But did she truly love him?

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts; it was an assistant with medicine.

Returning with the medicine, Liam found Charlotte struggling to get out of bed. Her eyes, clouded and earnest, followed him like a kitten eager for its mother's attention.

The comparison melted his heart for a moment.

He prepared water for the bitter medicine she was reluctant to take.

Charlotte was stubborn, and Liam's patience was thinning after several failed attempts to administer the medicine, nearly force-feeding her at one point.

"You can't treat me this way; it wounds my heart," Charlotte pleaded, tears welling up as she clung to his arm, burying her face in his sleeve and leaving only her tear-filled eyes visible. "Coo me into it, and I'll take my medicine like a good girl." Liam found her current state infinitely more endearing than when she was fully conscious.

But he had no idea how to coax her into taking her medicine.

Heartlessly, he thrust the medicine into her hands, saying, "Take care of this yourself.""

Charlotte gazed at the pills in her palm for a few seconds before murmuring softly, "If I brave these bitter pills, Liam promised to sweeten the deal with strawberries. The taste of strawberries will wash away the bitterness."

With that, she tossed the medicine into her mouth and swallowed it in one gulp.

She then looked at Liam with hopeful eyes, "I'm getting sleepy. Will there be strawberries when I wake up?"

Liam was speechless.

Without waiting for his answer, Charlotte climbed back into bed and pulled the covers over herself. As she closed her eyes, she mumbled with a hint of confidence, "There will be strawberries. He's loaded. He could buy Chloe's dog a mansion; surely, he wouldn't deny me strawberries that cost less than five bucks."

She drifted off to sleep, not cooling down from her fever, and ended up shivering in Liam's arms like a tiny quail seeking warmth in the middle of the night.

Liam called for a doctor immediately, a woman who examined Charlotte thoroughly. With furrowed brows, she advised, "You should be gentler with your intimate affairs. She's delicate. And no more cold leftovers; it seems her stomach is acting up."

"You've worn her out with a fever and you're still letting her eat cold food? What kind of boyfriend does that?"

Had Liam not appeared wealthy and intimidating, the female doctor would have likely given him a piece of her mind.

After the doctor left, Liam paced the room like a caged animal, wrestling with the thought.

Was he truly being cruel to her?

In the morning, when Henry brought breakfast, he was surprised to find Charlotte sleeping in the boss's bed. Though surprised, he didn't ask any questions.

After setting down the breakfast, he promptly relayed the day's schedule.

"Move up the visit to the Beaumont family," Liam instructed.

"Right away," Henry replied, immediately adjusting the itinerary and signaling the staff to prepare.

The morning meeting was now replaced by an earlier visit to the Beaumonts, setting everyone into motion.

Henry couldn't help but think Mr. Parker wanted to let Charlotte sleep a bit longer by doing this.

All the while, Charlotte, deeply asleep on the bed, knew nothing of these changes.

When she awoke from her slumber, her head pounded terribly, and her mind was a blank slate. She sat dazed for a long while, unable to recall why she was in Liam's room.

Her memory halted at the reception they had before, remembering only a restaurant with a vast garden. What happened afterward was a complete mystery.

"What's going on? How did I end up here?" she wondered aloud, climbing out of bed. Searching for Liam proved futile.

Dejectedly returning to her room, she was amazed to find her phone under the bed.

-What on earth happened last night? Had aliens abducted her to Liam's room?

After freshening up and changing clothes, Charlotte felt her mind clearing up a bit.

After a quick walk around, Charlotte discovered that only Liam and Henry were missing; the rest of her colleagues remained at the hotel, busily tending to their duties. Yet, their glances at her were a tapestry of emotions-some tinged with disdain, while others seemed to regard her with admiration.This material belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

Confused by their expressions, Charlotte found no one willing to provide answers to her queries.

Just as she pondered this curiosity, the hotel staff ushered in a group of elegantly dressed middle-aged women from the elevator.

The moment the leading lady laid eyes on Charlotte, she glared with fury, and, in a huff, hurled her purse straight at Charlotte! "Was it you who tried to seduce my husband?" she accused.

"What?" Charlotte, quick on her feet, caught the flying purse and retorted with furrowed brows, "What are you talking about? Who's trying to seduce your husband?"

The woman was hysterical, "Don't play dumb! The whole company saw you come onto Malcolm when he was drunk. And when you got caught, you pinned it all on him!"

She was nearly breathless with indignation, "I've suffered and toiled from scratch beside him to build the life we have now. Did you think you could just waltz in with your youth and beauty and take my place? In your dreams!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Charlotte replied coolly, realizing that something untoward must have occurred during her feverish state the night before, which would explain her colleagues' peculiar looks and this woman's confrontation.

She tried to soothe the lady, but before she could get a word in, the lady was already charging at her with her friends.