Chapter 541
With entrance exams finally behind her, Charlotte let herself relax for the first time in ages. She slept in every morning, no alarm clocks or rushed routines. Sometimes she’d drop by the Gates estate to have breakfast with her grandpa.
Over breakfast one day, Samantha brought out a plate of steaming chicken wings, wiping her hands on her apron. “Now that your exams are over, it’s probably time to introduce you officially, Lottie,” she said, her voice warm. “How do you want to do it? You can pick the time and place.”
Charlotte took a slow sip of her bird’s nest soup. Her features were calm, almost serene. “Just a simple dinner at home is fine,” she answered. “Besides, Donald’s still away with the military, so we’re not all together yet. And truthfully, I’m not a fan of big gatherings.”
She set her bowl down and reached over to pour Robert a bowl of soup. “I’ve always done my own thing. When I get to university, I’d rather not stand out too much. Having a big title hanging over me would just make everything more complicated.”
Robert’s eyes sparkled as he took the bowl from her. He finished half of it in one gulp, looking delighted. “Whatever you want, Lottie. If you’d rather keep it low-key, that’s what we’ll do.”
Charlotte was so much like her mother-never chasing after fame or fortune.
Samantha nodded. “That’s fine. We’ll just have a quiet meal, and later we can introduce you to everyone else when it feels right.” She couldn’t help but smile, watching Charlotte. The more time she spent with her, the more she liked her. Thankfully, Charlotte had inherited all the best parts of Nora and none of Steven’s flaws.
“Oh, Lottie,” Samantha added softly, “when you have time, invite Kenneth’s friend over for dinner. We really should thank him for how much he’s helped you lately.”
He really had been a huge help.
Charlotte just smiled, keeping her thoughts to herself.
As she left the Gates estate, Charlotte answered her phone on the first ring.
“Charlotte, we’ve got a big problem.” Adonis sounded totally panicked.
“Go on.” Charlotte slung her backpack over one shoulder, straddled her motorcycle, and glanced up, looking effortlessly cool.
“Our people got into a fight with X Organization at sea a while back. We accidentally destroyed one of their shipments Adonis’s tone shifted, almost like he found it funny. “Now they’ve blown up a few of our ships in revenge, and they’ve got hundreds of our men trapped in Frostford. They just let us know.”
No ransom demands. No talk of negotiations. Just a straight-up challenge to N Organization.
Charlotte’s mind raced. X Organization? Frostford? She remembered Anthony mentioning he had business in Frostford not long ago.
Her eyes narrowed, lips curling into a cold smile. The old grudge wasn’t even settled and now there was a new one.
“Charlotte, they’re clearly trying to
force you to show up and negotiate,”
Adonis muttered “They definitely planning something
”
Anthony’s guys were ruthless. How much longer could Charlotte keep her identity under wraps?
“I’ll go to Frostford myself,” she said quietly, cutting the call short. Her expression darkened. They’d blown up her ships and taken her people. Anthony really didn’t know when to quit.