Chapter 63
The walls were bare, with none of the little touches Charlotte would have added. Even the curtains weren’t in a color she liked.
Zac closed his eyes, but the image in his mind only sharpened–Charlotte tangled up in bed with that man.
Were they doing it right now!
A sharp, unshakable pain gripped his chest,
Before he came here, he had played out a hundred different scenarios in his head. But not once had he considered the possibility that Charlotte had already moved
on with someone else.
People said heartbreak happened twice in a relationship.
Once at the breakup, and again when you saw the other person with someone new
For Zac, that saying proved painfully true.
The next day, the sky was high and clear, the kind of crisp, golden wat moming that felt too good to waste.
|Charlotte had plans to go out with Sean, so she let herself sleep in and had a light breakfast before getting ready.
She wore a long–sleeyed black velvet dress with soft vintage lines. Her long, dark waves draped elegantly over her shoulders, and the bold red lipstick she cho paired perfectly with the dress.
She already had striking features–strong brows, high nose bridge, big almond eyes—but today, her look was next–level stunning. She was bold, confident and unforgettable.
Sean’s black Cullinan SUV was parked outside when she came downstairs.
She spotted him leaning against the car, finishing up a phone call.
When he saw her, his eyes lit up for a second before he hung up and smiled. “This look really suits you,” he said, admiring the outfit and makeup.
Charlotte smiled as she pulled open the passenger–side door and got in. “So, where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he replied.
He was driving himself today–no assistant, no chauffeur.
They left the city behind, trading sleek skyscrapers for long stretches of open road and rolling countryside. The sky was a clear, endless blue, and golden fields of com swayed gently in the breeze
Fammers were scattered across the land, busy with the harvest. Every so often, they passed quiet farmhouses with hare apple trees out front, their branches stripped. |_ clean–signs that fall was in full swing.
Charlotte rolled the window down halfway. The cool breeze slipped in, carrying a honeysuckle or just the scent of autumn in the air.
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Mmm. this is so nice.”
Sean kept his eyes on the road. “We’re almost there.”
a faint track of dried leaves and something sweet–maybe late–blooming
After another twenty minutes on a narrow rural cement road, the car stopped in front of a modest three–story farmhouse
“We’re here,” he said, turning off the engine and glancing at her.
Charlotte looked at the house, surprised. “Where is this?”
Sean sailed slightly, “Come see
As soon as they stepped out, a man caine walking toward them. He looked a bit puzzled at first, then surprised, and finally broke toto a wide grin. “Mr. Jasper, what a surprise!”
He handed Seana cigarette.
Charlotte noticed the brand–Yellow Crane Tower. It was one of those cheap ones she had seen inconvenience stores, maybe ten or fifteen dollars a pack
She watched in fascination as Sean–dressed in his usual high–end, tailored suit–accepted it without a word. The man lit it for him with a kind of revertice
*Sorry, Mr. Jasper,”
“the man said with a sheeptal chuckle. “Didn’t know you were coming today. Don’t have any Laney smokes in the house.”
Charlotte raised a bow, cleady amused. So this was the kind of cigarette Scan smoked sometimes?
Judging by bow familiar the man was with him, Sean must come here often.
The man turned to her. “And this is?
“Miss Riley,“Sean said evenly.
The man’s face it up. “Miss Riley! You’re here!”
Then he turned his head and shouted toward the house, Mom! Mem–Miss Riley’s here!
Charlotte glanced at Sean, confused.
“Wait.. these people know me?” she wondered.