From Desk to Altar: The CEO's Irresistible Bargain
Chapter 76: Are You Jealous?

Charlotte ascended to the second floor and upon pushing open the door, she was greeted by the sight of Chloe with her eyes tightly shut, her complexion flushed with fever, writhing in pain on the bed.

The sound of the door had Chloe mistaking her visitor for a bearer of relief. "Please, the medicine... I can barely stand it!" she implored, thinking help had finally arrived.

"Do you feel as wretched as I did back at the hotel?" Charlotte's voice was steady as she stood by Chloe's bed, her presence a silent echo of her own past suffering. Chloe's eyes flew open at the unexpected voice, "Charlotte?! You're here!"

"Is my presence a shock?" Charlotte asked with a hint of amusement. "I was similarly taken aback when I learned you preferred the doctor to treat a dog overseeing me."

"Charlotte!" Chloe, despite the haze of her fever, realized the gravity of the situation. She attempted to rise, her hands desperately fumbling for Charlotte's clothing. "You're stopping the doctor from treating me?!"

The bandages on her face had come undone, leaving the ghastly wound on her neck exposed for all its horror.

Charlotte regarded her with the detached disdain one might reserve for refuse.

"Chloe, tell me, was it you who paid off Robert to trick me into going to Annie's villa?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Chloe clamped her lips shut, once bitten, twice shy, determined not to fall for any tricks.

Wheezing in her discomfort, she harbored violent thoughts against Charlotte but was powerless to act on them.

"When you were busy weaving your schemes, did you ever stop to think that the misfortune you craft could circle back like a boomerang?"

With a calm that belied the tension in the room, Charlotte fetched a glass of water from the bathroom. Returning with a gaze as cold as the liquid in her hand, she flung back the covers and sent a cascade of chilly water spilling over Chloe! Chloe's shriek pierced the air as the cold water shocked her skin.

"Why the outcry?" Charlotte's tone was glacial. "You dealt Annie the same way, yet she didn't utter a peep. What gives you the right to scream?"

Chloe's rage bubbled over, her voice trembling with fury, "Charlotte! Charlotte! You're dead to me!"

Charlotte exited the room, paying no mind to Chloe's outburst. Just then, she encountered Liam ascending the stairs, his mouth opening as if to speak, but Dylan stepped out from the neighboring room before Liam could get a word out. "What's going on? I heard someone shouting about dead," Dylan inquired.

Without breaking stride, Charlotte responded as she passed by Liam, "Just a little tantrum, Chloe's not feeling well."

"Throwing a tantrum that involves killing you?" Dylan's expression was one of concern mixed with disbelief. Though his words were directed at Charlotte, they carried a message for Liam, "She's really out of control."

Then, turning back to Charlotte, he offered, "Are you scared? Do you want me to stay with you?"

Charlotte met his gaze, her silence speaking volumes of her speechlessness.

As Dylan spoke so openly in Liam's presence, Charlotte wondered if he wasn't worried about drawing Liam's ire.

Seemingly in tune with her thoughts, Dylan offered a mischievous blink.

With a knit of her brows, Charlotte deflected the offer, "I'm fine, but thanks."

She was ready to retreat to her room and decompress, yet the sound of Liam saying Dylan's name caused her to pause, curiosity piqued.

"Dylan, I've warned you," Liam's voice carried a note of caution.

"Just showing concern for my girl," Dylan replied, his smile unfazed.

"Dylan," Charlotte interjected, unable to bear his folly, "it's late. You should get some rest."

He nodded, still grinning, "Sure thing."

His obedient reaction seemed to ruffle Liam all the more.

He knew deep down that Charlotte's closeness to Dylan was a charade meant to provoke him, and he understood that there was no real romance between them. Yet, he couldn't let go of it.

Liam shot him a piercing glare and stormed off.

The door slammed shut with such force that Charlotte couldn't help but shudder.

Charlotte voiced her concern, her tone laced with the gravity of their precarious position, "In the Parker family's eyes, we're nothing. What's the gain in ruffling his feathers?"

Dylan's response came with a casual shrug, "Just seize the moment to speak my mind."

He continued with a cavalier tilt of his head, "And let's not forget, in front of Kenneth, I'm the lovestruck admirer, head over heels for you. Constant yielding doesn't quite paint the picture of a man enraptured, does it?" "The truth is, our relationship is one of mutual convenience, and we both know it. Kenneth is even more aware," she stated matter-of-factly.

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Charlotte always found Dylan's machinations too intricate for comfort and preferred to keep her distance. After laying things out clearly, she retreated to her room for some rest.

During the night, Chloe's wound became infected, leading to a high fever, and in a rush, she was taken to the hospital. The commotion woke Charlotte, who stood silently by the window, watching as Chloe was loaded into the ambulance. Then, with a crisp "click," the door to her room was pushed open from the outside.

Without glancing back, Charlotte's voice was tinged with indifference, "Your fiancée is sick and in the hospital. Aren't you going to see her?"

"She brought it on herself," came Liam's cool, dismissive response. He closed the door, stepped beside Charlotte, and together they looked out at the night sky, bathed in the glow of the moon.

A wave of reflection washed over Charlotte, "You've said 'You brought this on yourself' to me countless times."

Reflecting on her past, she acknowledged a bitter truth - much of her hardship was indeed of her own making.

For the sake of a man who didn't love her, she had always defended him, constantly giving way.

Yet, it turned out that a man's feelings-be they love or disdain-didn't stop him from being charmed by a pretty face.

A handful of sweet nothings and it seemed Liam was completely disarmed, hanging on her every word.

So what was the worth of her earnest devotion? Was it all just a farce?

"Liam," Charlotte sighed deeply, her head tilted as she regarded the indifference etched across his face, "You're being unfair."

A flicker of tension crossed Liam's features as he frowned sharply. "Are you accusing me?"

"Just airing out my grievances. But feel free to think of it as playful banter if that suits you."

The night's cool touch prompted Charlotte to rub her arms for warmth, her thoughts turning towards the comfort of her bed. Yet, before she could make her move, Liam's arm was suddenly around her, pulling her close in a possessive embrace.

"Charlotte, you've been getting too close to Dylan."

Her eyebrows arched in mild astonishment. "We're merely talking, Liam. It's bound to happen, living together as we do. Could it be that you're jealous?"

"Not at all," Liam cut in quickly, almost too quickly.

The corners of Charlotte's eyes crinkled with amusement, "Jealousy usually means someone cares, right?"

Lifting her gaze to his, her eyes shimmered with playful delight, holding his in a steady, sparkling gaze.

For a moment, Liam was caught off guard, lost in her gleaming eyes.

And within that brief lapse, Charlotte's gentle laughter sealed the moment, "It makes me happy, you know."

Liam's impending retort was abruptly swallowed, cut off before it could break free.

He turned his head aside.

Observing him, Charlotte's smile faltered, the laughter dying in her throat.

She knew how to love, just as Liam wasn't made entirely of stone.

But a beginning built on a mistake was never likely to lead to the right ending.

Charlotte fell into silence, her gaze settling on the moon that hung quietly in the sky.

Eventually, Liam's ire subsided enough for him to recall why he had come. "What's the deal you struck with Dylan?"

He knew there was some sort of bargain between them but the specifics remained a mystery.

Sure, he could dig around, and he'd probably get to the bottom of it.

However, his preference was to hear the details from Charlotte herself.

Charlotte spoke with candor, not bothering to sugarcoat her words. "With your engagement to Chloe, you've got the Beaumont family wrapped around your finger, and the Parker family's allegiance is all but secured. Dylan, as the eldest grandson, naturally couldn't accept this. With his limited influence, he knew he had to risk it all if he wanted to stand a chance against you."

She laid out the strategy like pieces on a chessboard. "I'm Thomas's adopted child, and if he wins the inheritance battle, the Beaumont family's influence becomes my trump card. Dylan's betting on that outcome. He's betting on me to bring the Beaumont's support as part of my dowry, giving him enough clout to challenge you."

"You said it yourself, the Beaumont family is already in your pocket. What makes him think Thomas could still take over?" Liam asked with a scoff.

"That's why he's teamed up with me to bring me into the Parker family," Charlotte explained.

With a chuckle, she took Liam's hand in hers, "Dylan's a gambler. He's betting on Thomas' success, but he's placing an even bigger bet on me that I can bewitch you, make you infatuated enough to hand over the Beaumont family on a silver platter."