From Desk to Altar: The CEO's Irresistible Bargain
Chapter 54: A lady's honor

Charlotte was speechless.

With disbelief etched into her features, she mused, "Do you truly believe he'd be at a loss for proof if he sought it?"

It was nothing more than a flimsy pretext.

"How did he look when you pointed fingers at Chloe in his presence?" she asked.

"Not too pleased," Evelyn replied.

"That says it all." They clearly didn't grasp the depth of Liam's feelings for Chloe; otherwise, they wouldn't entertain such foolish thoughts.

Charlotte felt a bit sorry for them, "He's asking you for proof right in front of Chloe-do you really think she won't react? He's just telling Chloe to cover her tracks better." Liam's recent words were nothing but a guise to shield Chloe.

"Is that so?"

What else could it be?

To expect Liam to actually punish Chloe?

Ridiculous.

Meanwhile, Liam stood secluded on the second-floor balcony, watching Chloe's hurried departure.

"Mr. Parker, the Beaumont family knows their turf well; they're experts at erasing their tracks. Our guys came back empty-handed," Henry said, tinged with regret.

"On a moonless night, all shadows are hidden," Liam mused, his frame casting an arc over the railing.

The Beaumont family in Leiventale is so powerful that they do whatever they want without leaving a trace, not even a hint of evidence.

He can put up with Chloe's reckless behavior, but he won't stand for it happening right under his nose.

Especially now that Chloe's influence had dared to reach Charlotte.

Henry glanced down and caught sight of Evelyn and her family supporting each other as they left, their silhouettes heavy with despair.

"As people who've been in direct contact with Chloe, they'll have an easier time replaceing evidence than we will," Henry remarked. "Let's hope they appreciate the effort you're making and get us the proof we need quickly."

For a big shot like the Beaumonts, Mr. Parker can't take action against their only descendant based just on some guesswork.

Everything must be done with due process.

Henry sighed, then asked, "It's getting late. Shall we head back to the hotel?"

"Sure," came Liam's curt reply. He started down the stairs, then paused to add, "Don't tell Charlotte about the real reason behind my injury." "Understood."

Henry had thought Charlotte wouldn't cross the line to ask, but during Liam's brief absence at the restroom, she cornered Henry by the tea station. "How did Mr. Parker hurt his finger?"

"Ah..." Henry scratched his head, "That's a secret."

"A secret?" To Charlotte, a mere injured finger was hardly a matter of secrecy.

Confused, she didn't press further. When Liam returned, they all left together.

Passing a lake, Charlotte overheard guests whispering behind the trees. Falling behind, she eavesdropped.

'Mr. Parker is quite protective of her. They say when Evelyn and her family pleaded with him, he lashed out in anger!'

Everything clicked for Charlotte.

She stealthily questioned Henry, "Did Mr. Parker's fury have to do with defending a lady's honor?"

After a moment's hesitation, Henry admitted, "You could say that."

Learning of the slanders against Charlotte, the boss had indeed erupted, slamming his hand on the table, injuring his finger on the broken nutshells. Charlotte understood, feeling a mix of disappointment and inevitability, "He really does shield Chloe."

A proud and self-contained man, resorting to violence for Chloe's sake.

"Huh?" Henry was momentarily confused. Shield Chloe? Who'd ever get angry over Chloe?

He hurriedly clarified, "Mr. Parker's injury wasn't about protecting Chloe."

"Then what was it?"

Henry was on the brink of spilling the truth when he remembered Liam's directive, and he shut his mouth tight, his cheeks flushing red. Charlotte found his reaction odd, assuming Liam was too proud to admit he was injured while defending his fiancée.

A bitter taste spread through her heart, and she no longer wished to speak, just as Liam finished mingling. They left for the car in silence.

On the way back, Charlotte messaged Thomas, listlessly inquiring if he had arranged for any assistance in Leiventale. Thomas hadn't.

What?

That man in the storeroom... With her suspicions growing, she pressed Thomas for information on a man's whereabouts. The color drained from her face as she read the response on her phone's screen.

Charlotte tossed and turned, haunted by restless thoughts that held sleep at bay.

Hunger pangs struck her in the dead of night, yet she dared not trouble the hotel staff for fear of drawing Chloe's attention.

Instead, she opted for takeaway, hoping to avoid staining her blankets with the scent of spicy cuisine, and found sanctuary in the dimly lit corridor.

Barely halfway through her meal, the sound of a door creaking open hastened her turn, and she found herself locked in a confrontation with Liam's irate gaze.

"What are you up to?" he grumbled, clearly disheveled by the midnight disturbance.

Swallowing her bite of fish with difficulty, she murmured, "Just a little midnight feast."

"Didn't you have dinner?"

"I did." Yet, as midnight's hunger struck, her stomach begged to differ.

For the first time, Charlotte felt his concern bordered on intrusive. "Mr. Parker, I've been careful not to wake anyone..."

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"Am I not someone?" Liam retorted sharply, clearly disapproving of her hallway dining, "Charlotte, are you a beggar?"

He was known for his leniency with his team, ensuring even the personal assistants enjoyed the privacy of their own standard rooms.

Did her room lack even a table?

"Get in here and eat!" he barked, irritation lacing his words.

She said to Liam, "I'm not going to! Can't you just talk to me nicely?"

Liam spun around, his lifted eyebrows a silent testament to his shock.

He stared at Charlotte for a while, then with a strange look on his face, he gently said as he opened the door, "Come on in and eat."

"Is this for real?" Charlotte's turn to be taken aback.

Taking a deep breath, Liam gestured impatiently toward the takeout on the floor and the table inside, gruffly saying, "Get in there to eat, and hurry up."

"..." Okay, any softness from him was clearly an illusion, Charlotte realized.

Hugging the takeout, she darted inside without once daring to raise her head.

Thus, she missed the sight of Liam's ears, flushed with a subtle warmth.

Once inside, Charlotte dared not proceed with her meal. The takeout's spicy fish aroma was indeed overpowering; she had chosen the hallway to spare the room from the invasive scent. If she boldly went into Liam's room right now to eat spicy fish, when he wakes up tomorrow, he's definitely going to flip out.

But the dish's intoxicating spice was a siren call in the contemplative silence of the night.

Charlotte found it impossible to let go.

"Mr. Parker," she tried to be upfront, "the smell is quite strong, I should eat outside..."

"Eat outside and wake me up again?" Liam glared, his eyebrows knitted in frustration.

Confused, Charlotte protested, "The hotel's soundproofing is excellent. How could I have disturbed you?"

Liam's response was non-existent, his features pulling into an even grimmer visage, eyes filled with a hint of reproach.

Charlotte felt more and more mystified by Liam.

After a brief hesitation, she picked up the fork, and just as she was about to touch the fish, a stroke of genius struck. She turned to Liam and offered, "Mr. Parker, would you like some?"