From Desk to Altar: The CEO's Irresistible Bargain

Serena had really let Liam have it last night, and he still wasn't over it.

It felt wrong to him like it dishonored Charlotte's memory.

But deep down, he was thankful to even have someone who resembled Charlotte around-it was a gift he couldn't take for granted.

"Ethan, hang with Uncle Liam a sec," Serena said, not wanting the kid to get scared if things got heated. She left Ethan by Liam's side.

Ethan was a mixed bag of emotions, remembering both the good and the bad about Liam. He kept sneaking peeks at Liam, unsure, but he wasn't about to get cozy with him.

Liam wasn't the best at dealing with kids, and Ethan was one expressive kid.

Liam felt out of his depth. There they stood, a good few feet apart.

After a bit, Liam pulled out a piece of candy and put it down between them.

"Take it if you like," he offered.

"I don't want stuff from bad guys!" Ethan shot back, but his eyes were glued to the candy. He looked from the candy to Liam, pouting.

Then, with a huff, he turned away, "Bad guys always try to bribe you with treats! I'm not falling for that!"

Liam let out a laugh. "Who filled your head with all that? Who taught you?"

"No one did. Dad says I'm a natural, smart like mom."

"Is that so? Where's all that smart hiding, huh?"

Liam was just trying to get a conversation going, maybe close the gap a bit, but Ethan's answer was a surprise.

"I'm super good with numbers! I can remember really, really long ones!" Ethan boasted, chest out.

That caught Liam off guard. Charlotte was sharp with numbers, her memory was top-notch.

If Ethan got that from his mom, then maybe Serena...

Liam had to swallow hard, pushing the thoughts away.

He couldn't afford another emotional hit, so he played it safe with any wild guesses.

-

Their place was just a simple bungalow with three rooms.

It wasn't much, as Liam had warned. Serena saw it was pretty bare, except for some kid stuff-no adult things in sight.

They used soap in place of proper face wash, and there wasn't much to eat.

They got to the bedroom door, and the person inside, hearing them coming, opened up all smiles.

"Liam, I know I messed up. Just give me another-Charlotte?!"

Chloe stopped mid-beg, totally thrown off by the woman standing there. She couldn't even breathe.

"Char... Charlotte?" She went from surprised to scared real quick.

Chloe backed up and then, losing her balance, fell to the floor.

"Who are you? You can't be Charlotte! Charlotte's dead! Dead for sure! She can't be alive!"

"Sure?"

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Serena couldn't help but let out a laugh, her voice light and mocking as she stared down the woman unraveling before her. "You thought it was a done deal, huh? Did you ever guess she'd end up sharing a ride with Liam? Or were you hoping to wipe them both out?"

"How... how do you know so much?"

Chloe's fear was palpable, her eyes wide as if she were staring at a specter.

Chloe had caught a glimpse of Charlotte's dealings from her balcony that day, realizing that the evidence Charlotte held could ruin her. She made a snap decision to have Charlotte killed.

Directly offing Charlotte had crossed her mind before, but it was a tough job with no volunteers.

Now, it seemed like a golden opportunity had fallen into her lap-betrayal with a bonus.

She'd only aimed for Charlotte, she swore.

After all, Liam was the father of her child, and she needed him his status, his support.

Why would she want to harm Liam?

It was only later that she learned Liam had rushed to Charlotte's side out of concern, leaving behind a boardroom full of executives.

The news of Liam's critical injuries did hurt, but it was overshadowed by the relief of Charlotte's presumed demise.

And yet, here was Charlotte, alive and breathing.

"How are you still alive?"

Chloe was on the edge, her sanity teetering. The idea of Charlotte surviving against all odds, and returning to stir up her world, was unthinkable.

She had planned to bide her time, waiting for the child to grow, for Liam to grow more affectionate because of the kid.

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She thought she could eventually shrug off this life of hardships and step back into her high heels as the lady of luxury.

She had this idea that Liam would get over Charlotte eventually.

But she didn't see this coming-Charlotte's still alive!

Chloe was a total mess, crawling around on the floor like some kind of animal, throwing whatever she could find at Serena. Serena was quick on her feet, dodging this and that, but then bam!—a water bottle got her right in the arm. "Really? Do you think you can hit me? Do I look like Charlotte, always looking over my shoulder?"

Serena laughed it off, moved in fast, and pinned Chloe to the floor. She gave her a good few slaps until her hand started to sting.

Chloe's screams caught Liam's attention, and she must've thought, "This is it, he's gonna save me." Because even if Liam was mad, he wouldn't let his kid's mom get beaten up, right?

"Liam... Liam, save me..."

"Cut it out, don't freak out the kid," Liam said, all furrowed brows, covering the little one's ears and eyes with his hands, all fatherly and protective.

Chloe's eyes popped. She pointed at the bawling boy in the bedroom, then at the kid in Liam's arms, and spat out.

"Liam, can't you hear your own son crying? Who's that you're holding? Whose kid is that? No wonder Benjamin means nothing to you. No wonder you're so cold, keeping me and Benjamin locked up and suffering. You had another woman's child all along!"

Liam was still covering Ethan's eyes, not able to deal with Chloe himself, so he gave a nod to the bodyguards. They swooped in and took care of her. Then he told Serena to follow him out. Serena just walked out, with no fuss.

But as she passed Liam, she couldn't resist a little dig. "Vincent said Charlotte knew how to throw a punch. I was scratching my head, wondering why she couldn't take down this bitch. Now it all makes sense. You were always there, protecting Chloe."