"Nathaniel, who do you love more, me or Charlotte?"
"Of course you, darling. Haven’t my actions made that clear?"
"But I want to hear you say it."
"Darling, you’re the only woman I truly love..."
The suite quickly filled with the unmistakable sounds of intimacy.
Outside the slightly ajar door, Charlotte stood frozen, her blood feeling as though it had turned to ice, a numbing cold trembling through her limbs.
An hour ago, someone had sent her a video.
In the footage, her fiancé Nathaniel Fletcher was passionately kissing her half-sister, Sophia Hayes, in the hallway of this very hotel.
She’d dismissed it at first, thinking it was some prank, only to now realize the two had been entangled for much longer than she'd ever imagined.
Taking a deep breath, she fought back the anger boiling in her chest, pulled her phone from her pocket, and silently pushed open the door.
The pair on the bed were still lost in their euphoria when a crisp, icy voice shattered the moment: "Well, isn’t this quite the performance? Would you like me to give you a round of applause?"Their bodies froze instantly, turning toward the doorway.
“Ah!” Sophia Hayes screamed, frantically shrinking into Nathaniel Fletcher’s arms. “Sister? What are you doing here?!”
Nathaniel hastily grabbed a blanket to cover himself and frowned. “Who told you to come?”
Charlotte Hayes crossed her arms and stared at him with a mocking expression. “Well, if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have witnessed such a memorable scene, would I?”
“Sis, please! Nathaniel and I truly love each other. Why can’t you just let us be?” Sophia’s eyes brimmed with tears, making her look pitifully innocent.
Nathaniel’s heart ached at the sight, and he held her protectively. His voice was harsh as he said, “Charlotte, whatever issues you have, take them up with me. Sophia’s innocent in all of this!”
Charlotte let out a cold laugh. “Innocent? Do you even know what that word means?”
“Enough! The only person I’ve ever loved is Sophia. If you had the slightest bit of self-awareness, you’d go tell Grandmother to call off this engagement!” His voice carried frustration.
He liked the way Sophia could switch from being soft and endearing to freely uninhibited. But Charlotte? She was rigid and reserved, refusing even simple touches. Honestly, she bored him to death!“I feel nothing but misery when I’m with you,” Nathaniel snapped coldly.
Charlotte’s eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of icy sharpness flaring in her gaze. “Cheating is cheating—stop making excuses. I wonder, if I shared your little hotel adventure video, would anyone still think you’re innocent?”
Nathaniel and Sophia’s faces turned pale instantly. “Charlotte, delete the video right now!” Nathaniel roared.
“What if I don’t?” Charlotte replied coolly, stepping back two paces and tilting her chin with an air of defiance.
“Nathaniel, if you don’t like me, you could’ve just told me upfront and asked for a proper break-up. Believe me, I’m not the type to cling. But doing things behind my back like this—you disgust me.”
Had Nathaniel chosen to walk away cleanly, part of her might’ve even admired him for it. But now…
“Charlotte, stop right there!” Nathaniel called out desperately, glaring at her retreating silhouette. Fury blazed in his chest as he instinctively moved to chase after her.
Before he could take another step, Sophia clung tightly to his waist, her voice trembling with tears. “Nathaniel, what should we do? My sister must hate me now… Maybe I should’ve never loved you from the start. That way, I wouldn’t have hurt her…”Nathaniel Fletcher heard those words, and his chest tightened with guilt and tenderness. How could he even think about going after Charlotte Hayes now?
He kissed Sophia Hayes lightly on her forehead and murmured softly, "Sophia, you're just too kind. If it weren't for her standing in the way, we could've been together long ago."
"Nathaniel, you're so good to me..." Sophia's lips curled into a faint smile, her gaze fixed intently on where Charlotte had just vanished. A flash of triumph danced in her eyes.
Hah...
Go against her? Charlotte was way out of her league!
Before long, she was confident that the position of Mrs. Fletcher would be hers for the taking!
…
When Charlotte stepped out of the hotel, it was already pouring outside.
The endless night was shrouded in darkness, with only flashes of lightning and the faint glow of streetlights piercing through the heavy rain.
Standing amidst the downpour, Charlotte was drenched from head to toe.
The scene of Nathaniel and Sophia entwined together kept replaying in her mind, making her stomach twist with nausea.
After not having eaten all day, her stomach felt like it was being clenched into painful knots.
She forced herself to stumble toward the roadside. Eventually, she couldn't hold it anymore, slowly crouching down.
The icy rain pelted against her pale skin, sending waves of bone-deep chill through her body, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.The dizziness clouding her mind made it impossible to tell if she was dreaming or caught in some surreal haze.
She didn't know how much time had passed before the rain on her body started to ease up.
Charlotte slowly opened her eyes, realizing a shadow had appeared before her.
Feeling a strange awareness, her gaze gradually drifted upward.
The first thing she saw was a pair of impeccably tailored suit trousers, perfectly framing long, straight legs.
Moving further up, her eyes landed on a cold, strikingly handsome face.
The man had slightly furrowed brows, a sharp nose, and lips pressed into a tight line.
His deep-set eyes were lowered, their dark intensity almost merging with the surrounding night.
Charlotte froze, blinking in surprise as a flicker of disbelief flashed in her eyes. “Uncle? How… it's you?”
Standing before her was Alexander Fletcher—the man currently running the powerhouse Fletcher family in River City.
He was also the uncle of her ex-fiancé, Nathaniel Fletcher.
Known as the Fletcher patriarch’s youngest child, born late in his life, Alexander had inherited exceptional business acumen. Under his leadership, Fletcher Enterprises saw its market value multiply in just a few short years.
But what really set him apart was his ruthless competence, his decisiveness that left many shivering.
Despite his formidable reputation, Alexander had always kept a low profile and rarely mingled with the younger generation of the family. Charlotte had only seen Alexander a few times at family dinners at the Fletcher household. They'd barely exchanged words.
His presence always felt dangerous to her, the kind of danger she instinctively avoided when possible.
But today, she unexpectedly ran into him—and at her most disheveled moment, no less.
“What’s the matter? What’s worth you treating yourself like this?”
Alexander’s deep, resonant voice carried a soothing, almost electric charm, enough to stir a faint tingle in her ears. Hidden within the tone was a subtle trace of concern, barely noticeable but impossible to miss.
Charlotte snapped out of her daze and hurried to her feet.
But crouching for too long had left her legs completely numb.
Her body swayed unexpectedly, losing balance and tipping backward.
Just when she thought she was bound to embarrass herself with a fall, a pair of warm, solid hands wrapped around her waist.
In the next moment, she found herself pressed against the firm comfort of his chest.
She instinctively clung to his shirt, gripping the fabric tightly, as though gravity itself couldn’t be trusted.
Then, his low and smooth voice whispered beside her ear, carrying a playful mockery, “Taking advantage of me already?”