Charlotte called upon Mr. Beaumont for assistance, her fingers deftly pocketing a shard of porcelain, her gaze as hollow as the echo of a ghostly cathedral. "If he can't save Annie, at least he can salvage the justice I'm seeking in her name." She knew gratitude should have filled her heart; Mr. Beaumont had not only taken Annie under his protective wing but had also nurtured her with a kindness that both Annie and she should have been forever thankful for. Yet, the bitterness lingered, unbidden.

Her Annie was gone.

The Beaumonts, stewards of a vast empire, had turned a blind eye as Chloe's taunts grew into torments, culminating in the unthinkable - Annie's life extinguished by Chloe's hand!

An innocent girl.

Drowned in cold indifference.

"Pass the word to Mr. Beaumont," she declared with a resolve forged in the fires of her loss, "the steps he hesitates to take due to blood ties and social standing, I will stride without faltering." "I shall be his avenging spear, the blade in his shadow."

"I am ready to carry the full weight of his vengeance, and I will corner Chloe into the darkest pits of retribution!"

Annie had been the compass of Charlotte's life, for whom she had forsaken all else, setting aside her future in the hopes of a reunion filled with joy, only to be greeted with the grievous news of her demise. Tears brimming but unshed, Charlotte looked at Vincent, her voice unwavering, "Tell Mr. Beaumont that my resolve to avenge Annie will not waver for anyone or anything." Vincent was profoundly stirred.

"Consider it done," he replied, his fists clenching with the promise of protection.

He understood Charlotte's trials and tribulations, but it pained him to think they might be in vain.

"You're not risking your life just for Mr. Beaumont's shelter," he said, knowing full well that Chloe's disfigurement at her hands would incite a ferocious backlash from the Beaumont family.

Chloe's marred beauty could very well lead to the unraveling of her engagement with the Parker family.

Charlotte bowed her head, a curtain of hair concealing the storm within.

"Liam despises me," she confessed with a hollow laugh, "though I can't fathom why, his loathing is palpable."

Her confidence waned in preventing Liam's betrothal to Chloe.

"With Chloe disfigured, Liam could seize the chance to sever ties with the Beaumonts, freeing himself from a web of hate and conflict."

There was something Charlotte left unsaid.

She couldn't bear the thought of Liam standing by Chloe's side, looking at her with disdain during their inevitable confrontations.

She knew a future with Liam was out of reach, but neither was Chloe his match.

Liam deserved... someone better.

"Our paths are ill-fated," she whispered to herself, "letting him go is my final act of kindness."

Sometimes silence was a shield.

With that, Charlotte carefully cleansed the blood from her hands and drifted out like a wraith into the night, leaving the aftermath to Vincent and Thomas Beaumont. Back at the hotel, exhaustion claimed her, and she succumbed to sleep.

When she awoke, the sky was a tapestry of darkness, and a profound emptiness flooded her senses.

Charging her phone, a barrage of unread messages caught her eye.

The secretary's office had flooded her inbox with inquiries about her whereabouts, puzzled by her absence.

And then there was Liam's message.

"Get your butt back here."

Staring out at the moonlit night, her heart inexplicably raced.

A mere assistant, if Liam truly detested her, he wouldn't seek her out with such urgency.

Even if documents were amiss, he wouldn't personally reach out.

He'd use the opportunity to cast her out of the Parker Group.

Yet, he had.

Eyes lingering on the terse command, Charlotte exhaled slowly.

Let it be an end to matters.

If it didn't start well, it should at least end well.

To seek clarity.

To ask him if his disdain was genuine.

If so, she'd vanish without a trace.

To ask him.

One last time.

Urgency whispered in her mind, and Charlotte swiftly composed herself, hailing a cab straight to Liam's mansion.

Liam's villa was a fortress, impregnable to the uninvited, a testament to the exclusivity within which he dwelled.

Charlotte had never stepped foot into this sanctuary before; their rendezvous had been confined to the cozier quarters of a two-bedroom delight.

Reflecting on it, she realized it was perhaps a sign of his nonchalance towards her.

"Hold tight, miss. I need to check with Mr. Parker if he's up for company."

The guard said, disappearing into the control room as Charlotte cast her eyes towards the villa that stood ablaze with light in the near distance, her heart pounding with a wild rhythm against her ribcage. The message was clear: she was being turned away.

Charlotte's fervor cooled slightly, knowing all too well Liam's apparent distaste meant he wouldn't grant her an audience lightly.

"I'll wait," she declared.

Her voice was the embodiment of a last stand, embracing the hurdles thrown her way.

Just a heads up: is the only place to read the complete version of this book for free. Don't miss out on the next chapter-visit us now and continue your journey! "Miss, the guardhouse is off-limits for loitering," the guard ushered her out sternly.

Once outside, Charlotte noticed the heavens had opened up, and a soft drizzle had begun to fall.

She stood under her umbrella, a solitary figure in the rain, her alabaster skin dotted with droplets, her red lips and chestnut hair adding color to the otherwise bleak surroundings.

She gazed up at the villa, at the warmth of the light within, and at the heart that seemed so cold towards her.

"Charlotte hasn't left; she's still waiting out there," Daniel whispered from behind the curtains, observing her silhouette in the rain.

He didn't dare to persuade Liam directly, so he hinted subtly, "Maybe she's here to apologize."

Liam, sprawled in his armchair with eyes closed, gave away his inner turmoil through his fluttering eyelids.

"Mr. Parker, the rain's getting heavier." Daniel's worry was palpable as he gazed at the downpour, "Such rain could make her ill if she stays out all night."

His gaze was fixed on the rainy veil, missing the sudden clench of Liam's fingers as he rambled on, "Thomas Beaumont claims she's using you, just to stop your wedding with Chloe. But, Mr. Parker, Chloe was bloodied, rushed to the hospital today, her beauty ruined."

Daniel's voice softened with sympathy, "Maybe Charlotte thinks your engagement will be called off because of this, and she's come to you."

Unsaid was the implication that the engagement was doomed, and despite having no further need to use him, Charlotte still stood in the rain, yearning for a moment with him.

If only Liam would soften, they could return to their tender, honeyed days.Material © of .

Liam opened his eyes, glancing out the window.

There, not far, was Charlotte, her cheeks wet from the rain, her longing eyes vividly desperate.

"Not enough," he murmured softly.

Daniel was perplexed, "What isn't enough? Mr. Parker, mercy begets mercy; you can't be too harsh with women."

As he spoke, a vehicle approached in the periphery of his vision.

"Chloe's car," Daniel said, turning to Liam, who sat indifferent, evidently unsurprised by her arrival.