Facade of Love

Chapter 351 The Girl Who Toyed with Hearts
Charlie gave me a look, his lips quirking up in a half–smile. “You said we were going to follow your schedule today, right?”
I nodded, though I could not hide my surprise at their early arrival. I had planned to drive over and pick Charlie up from his villa,
yet here they were, ahead of time.
It did cut down on our preparation time, though. Once we were all in the car, I told Inch, “Let’s head to the wholesale market.”
Inch paused, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. “To the wholesale market, Ms. Scott?”
“Yep,” I confirmed with a nod.
He seemed skeptical but did not question me further. He started the engine, and we were about to pull away when Inch suddenly
froze.
“What’s up?” I was about to ask when I caught Charlie’s focused stare. They were both eyeing the sleek black Bugatti blocking
our path.
Idris.
What was he doing here?
My mind went blank for a second before I pushed the car door open and stepped out.
Idris emerged from his vehicle too, clad in a black coat that accentuated his tall, lean figure. His elegance and the luxury car
made quite the statement.
“Did you come looking for me?” I ventured, puzzled. It was early, and I did not recall making any plans with him for the day.
Besides, I had not given him an answer to yesterday’s conversation, just that I needed time to think.

Idris’s gaze shifted from Charlie’s car back to me, his dark eyes probing. “Have you got other plans today?”
I nodded, sensing an odd tension in the air.
His lips tightened slightly. “All day?”
Another nod from me, my heart racing for reasons I could not quite place.
With that, I could sense Idris pulling away, and with a nonchalant hum, he spun on his heel, slid back into his Bugatti, and drove
off without another word.
I stood frozen, a storm of emotions swirling inside me. Feeling like a heartbreaker, I recalled telling him just yesterday that I
needed time to think about us. Now, here I was making plans with another guy. Talk about being wishy–washy.
A shiver ran down my spine as I tossed those jumbled thoughts out of my head.
I had to forget about what was going on with Idris. Charlie and I were just friends. We were nothing more than just two pals
lending each other a hand and sometimes hanging out. Nothing more!
With my head clear, I hopped into Charlie’s car.
Chapter 351 The Girl Who Toyed with Hearts
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He fired up the engine, and we left the fancy neighborhood behind.
Charlie glanced at me, his voice steady. “You and Idris are divorced, right? Does he... need something from you?”
I shook my head, my throat tightening for some reason, and muttered, “No, it’s nothing.”

Sure, the divorce was final, yet our current situation was like a puzzle. It seemed straightforward but was actually a tangled
mess.
I did not want to dive into that topic, so I turned to Charlie and blurted out, “Hey, I never got to ask you if you had a girlfriend or a
wife.” That was a bit impulsive of me. Since coming back from Lorrell, I had been fixated on thanking him for his help. However, I
had forgotten that there was a line one should not cross when it came to guys. Getting too close could send the wrong message.
He shook his head, his eyes distant. “I’m not the marriage type, nor do I have anyone special.”
I blinked, confused. “Why not?”
He looked out at the world zipping by the window, his voice a deep, rough whisper. “I don’t need marriage, and I’m not the kind of
guy anyone would fall for.”
Charlie’s words hung in the air, cold and detached. I caught myself frowning slightly, realizing only now the iciness that lay deep
within him. The more time we spent together, the clearer it became that Charlie had never truly let anyone in.
Unsure of what to say next, I hesitated and let the silence linger for a beat.
Maybe the mood in the car had dipped too low because Charlie glanced back at me with a grin. “You’re not going to write me off
as too cold–hearted and bail on our friendship, right?”
I shook my head, taking a deep breath before responding, “Of course not. We’ve been through too much together to let that
happen. Marriage and love is not really a necessity for a lot of people these days. Sharing a life and raising kids together under
one roof is no walk in the park, and it’s a lifelong commitment.”
There were times when I even questioned my own ability to commit to someone for life, someone not linked to me by blood. That
someone used to be Idris. I could not be certain. In this day and age, marriage was an optional, yet incredibly costly, luxury.