Chapter 15 Prey
Charlotte was surprised to hear Malcolm bring their intimate encounter up in broad daylight. Though he did this out of concern, she couldn’t. help but feel awkward.
For a time, she wasn’t sure whether she should walk away or take the
ointment.
She stayed silent, her face and even the tips of her ears blushing.
Knowing what she was thinking, Malcolm said in a low voice, “It’s just a normal ointment. No need to feel embarrassed.”
At this, she no longer hesitated. She quickly took the ointment and said, “Mal, I’m stepping out for some air.”
He withdrew his hand and said flatly, “OK.”
Charlotte then walked away while clutching the ointment, which was like a hot potato in her eyes. Neither keeping nor discarding it felt right.
When Malcolm went back to the ward, Danielle was chatting heartily with her parents.
Since childhood, Danielle had always taken her appearance seriously. Though she was in poor health now and wasn’t wearing any makeup. she kept herself impeccably flawless.
With her parents sitting next to her, she was acting coquettishly, the happy smile on her face made her look no different from a carefree
child.
Between her and Charlotte, the latter was always the silent one.
In fact. Malcolm had known of Charlotte’s existence for years. He knew she was an illegitimate child and wasn’t favored. On the day of his engagement to Danielle, he went to the Townsend’s home and caught a glimpse of her.
She had stood far away, so invisible that he couldn’t even remember
how old she had been at the time.
Later on, he saw her a few more times, and she was always watching them from a distance. Danielle was the apple of the family’s eye, whereas no one had ever seemed to care about her.
His impression of her extended no further than that she was slender, thin, and had a fair complexion.
He slightly clenched his fingers at the memory of her skin–other than fair, it was also extremely delicate.
It almost reminded him of a flower blooming on a branch. With a little crush, its juices would be spilling out.
In the evening. Charlotte came home with Marlene and Jermaine. As she stepped back to her room, she received a text from Humberto, telling her he had received the Bautista Group’s offer.
She couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile at his text. Then, in a daze, she clutched her phone tightly while leaning against the door.
Just then, Marlene knocked on the door. She tensed immediately and turned around to look at the door.
Chapter 16 Prey
Worried that she was still in contact with Humberto, Marlene asked, “Charlotte, are you still awake?”
Charlotte quickly wiped her tears away and said, “I’m about to sleep.”
Then she turned off the light.
Only then did Marlene walk away.
In the following days, Charlotte spent her time going to classes and doing part–time jobs. She and Malcolm didn’t contact each other again.
And she hadn’t seen Humberto around on campus. Natalia told her he had been so swamped with work that he didn’t even have time for studies.
Charlotte secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
One day, she got rushed to her part–time job at a hotel after class, just like usual. Right after she changed into the uniform, the manager urged her to bring wine to a private room where customers had just arrived.
She walked to the door to the private room with the wine and knocked on the door. “Hello there. Here are the drinks you ordered.”
Malcolm had turned sideways, listening to the person beside him speak. Hearing her voice, he immediately looked up and saw her.
“Charlotte?”
He frowned.
Charlotte was wearing the hotel’s standard uniform.
She wore a strapless bustier with a nipped–waist blazer, and her slender, long legs were showcased by her hip–hugging pencil skirt, accentuated by black sheer stockings.
She had her hair tied up, revealing her fair, pretty face perfectly.
Her appearance instantly drew a lot of attention.
Many men in the private room leered at her as if she were vulnerable.
prey.
