Chapter 486
Anthony stood under the cold water for what felt like forever, letting it wash over him until his mind finally cleared. He leaned onto the sink, hands braced, his eyes wet and intense as he stared at himself in the mirror. The veins on the back of his hands stood out, tense and strained.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the images of Charlotte suffering. They looped in his head, relentless. So that was why. Her sleepwalking, her restless nights, it all traced back to the trauma she’d endured. And every time she found her way to him in her sleep, it was because he’d given her a sliver of hope that night on the rooftop. He was her safe place, her last lifeline.
Anthony’s eyes stung with the threat of tears. A dry, bitter laugh slipped out as he muttered at his own reflection, “Anthony, you really are an idiot.”
He splashed another handful of cold water over his face, chasing the anger away. At least she was back with him. At least this hadn’t turned into a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from.
Later, Anthony came downstairs, hair still damp and a robe draped over his shoulders. Charlotte was curled up on the couch, a plate of cookies beside her and
a thick stack of papers in her lap. She was frowning in concentration, lost in whatever she was reading.
Jackson, Adonis, and Hans stood in front of her, all three usually intimidating but now oddly subdued in her presence.
“Anthony.”
The three men greeted him in unison, respectful and a little stiff.
Anthony nodded and handed his towel to Hans, then settled next to Charlotte, his arm sliding easily around her waist. He glanced at the papers in her hands and realized they were the documents he’d asked Hans to dig up. Trust Hans to get everything done perfectly, not a single wasted page.
“We’ve got most of the evidence from back then,” Anthony told her, gently ruffling her hair. His voice
softened. “All that’s left is to tracet down the people involved at by
Jesse’s plane lands tomorrow morning, we’ll handle the rest. If you’re tired, you can leave it to me, okay?”
Charlotte looked up, her lips curving into a small, stubborn smile. “No. Some things, I need to handle myself.”
The way she said it sent a chill through Jackson and Adonis. They remembered the video of Jesse, how he’d been suffering for months, seeing doctor after doctor,
completely falling apart. That had Charlotte’s fingerprints all over it.
Now, they got it. Charlotte hadn’t
held back just to keep her life at school peaceful or to spare Anthony extra trouble. She knew that
sometimes, dragging out someres
suffering was worse than a quick ending She wanted desse to pay, to feally feet-before she mished things for good.
But clearly, she wasn’t done with him yet.
“Alright,” Anthony said quietly. He didn’t argue. Instead, he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. “Whatever happens, I’m right here with you.”
Watching the two of them together, Jackson and Adonis felt a strange shiver run through them. Hans just thought that, after all this, Anthony seemed even more attached to Charlotte than ever.
Meanwhile, at the Carter family home, Melissa sat at her vanity, putting on her makeup with one hand and scrolling through her. phone with the other, The internet was blowing up with news and every headline was trashing Charlotte. Words like manipulative, crazy, monster filled her screen, along with photos and videos meant to ruin her.
Melissa was in a great mood.
Her phone buzzed, and a sleazy male voice came through the speaker. “Ms. Carter, there’s still no response from Charlotte or the Main family. It’s been almost half a day. Looks like she can’t find any proof to fight back, so she’s just giving up.”