Charles sat frozen, staring at his phone, feeling colder with every second that passed.


    ra and Uno were still out at the g. Charles nced out the window at MiloBuddy racing around the yard. His eyes stung, turning red in an instant. He feltpletely lost.


    He was only ten when his oldest brother found him and brought him into the Chester family. That brother had done everything-hunted down doctors, paid for treatments—just to fix the mess of scars on Charles''s face. If it weren''t for him, Charles would''ve grown up looking like a monster.


    His oldest brother had always been good to him. Mitch was decent too.


    People liked to say he was the Chester family''s stray dog. Charles never minded. Being loyal didn''t make him any less of a person.


    But tonight, he was falling apart. Everything he''d trusted in for years was starting to crack, and the feeling that his world was caving in was enough to make him want to scream.


    ra had no clue about any of this. After Loue left, she went off to meet Scarlette.


    Scarlette had just wrapped up a business meeting with Carrie, and they were fine- tuning the contract. Once both sides signed, the deal would be sealed.


    When Scarlette spotted ra, she couldn''t help but pull her into a hug. "It''s been forever! You look so thin-are you eating at all?"


    ra managed a smile, lifting a ss of wine. "I heard you''re about to close a huge deal. Congrats! Maybe you''ll be ringing the bell on Wall Street next year?"


    Scarlette''s ambitions were never small. She''d worked herself to the bone for this deal, and if it all went well, she was nning to take thepany public in the States.


    She clinked her ss against ra''s and gave her a yful shove on the shoulder. "ra, if you ever need a ce to go, you''ve always got a spot at mypany."


    ra let out a softugh and nodded. “Thanks, I''ll keep that in mind.”


    Suddenly, Scarlette leaned in, eyes sparkling with gossip. "So, is it true? Is Ferguson Corporation really going under? Everyone''s talking about it. I saw Michael and Lucius at the g, acting like they own the ce. And Dn-where is he? Come on, you have to know."


    ra dropped her gaze, swirling the wine in her ss. "I really don''t know."


    Scarlette was surprised. Weren''t ra and Dn married, and totally in love? How could she not know?


    She was about to dig deeper, but ra looked up, her eyes calm and distant. "There''s nothing between me and Dn anymore. He''s going to marry Loue."


    Scarlette could see it, clear as day-something huge had happened.


    She decided not to push it.


    ra chatted for a few more minutes, then turned to leave-only to run straight into Michael.


    Michael had always been a coward, selfish to his core. Even when his only son, Simon, got into trouble, Michael barely blinked. As long as his own life wasfortable, nothing else mattered.


    Now that he thought he had Ferguson Corporation in his pocket, seeing ra again made his mind wander to other things.


    People might criticize ra for a lot of things, but no one could deny how beautiful she was.


    Michael''s lips curled into a smirk. "ra, remember that hotel address I sent you? Why didn''t you show up? Aren''t you scared we''ll really take Ferguson Corporation down?"


    ra frowned and tried to step around him, but Michael lifted his arm, blocking her. His voice turned mocking "What''s the hurry? If you didn''t like that hotel, I can pick another. But the guy you''re meeting has changed Since Dn''s out of the picture, you should really find yourself a new backer, don''t you think?"  s


    ra had thought Michael was just trying to give her a hard time. Now she realized exactly what he meant.


    Disgust twisted in her stomach. Her eyes went cold. "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    Michael sneered, leaning in closer,


    his intentions written all over his


    face. "Isn''t it obvious? I want you.


    Out of everyone in the city, you''re the only one Dn wanted. I''m just curious what''s it like to be with the woman he''s already had?"  s<fn8851> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n f?ndnovel</fn8851>


    He grinned, looking proud of himself. "And honestly, no one''s seen Dntely. He might be dead


    somewhere. You''re still young no need to be a widow forever dont care if you''ve been with him."  s


    Crack!


    Before he could finish, ra pped him hard across the face. That made two men she''d pped tonight. Not a bad record.