From Desk to Altar: The CEO's Irresistible Bargain

Charlotte watched in silence as Chloe stormed out in a fury.

She understood all too well.

Rumors had been swirling around the Parker Group-whispers that Liam's love for Chloe ran deep. Despite Chloe once betraying him in a power play, he remained steadfast by her side. Charlotte had been skeptical at first, but now, she was beginning to believe. Liam's love for Chloe was genuine, it seemed.

Staggering slightly, still dizzy from the day's events, Charlotte allowed herself a moment of rest in the quiet of the hospital room.

She didn't really think Chloe was behind her being here, nor did she imagine Liam would be involved-she'd assumed the good-hearted Daniel had come to her aid.

So when Liam appeared at the doorstep of the hospital room, urgency etched on his face, Charlotte was momentarily stunned.

"What are you doing here...?"

"Where's Chloe?" he demanded as if dousing the flicker of hope inside her with icy water.

"She's gone," Charlotte replied

Was he so concerned that she might have somehow threatened Chloe in her weakened state?

Charlotte gave a bitter laugh, "I'm so sick I can't be a threat to Chloe. Mr. Parker can rest easy."

Liam glared at her, then settled himself on the sofa with a heavy heart.

Charlotte's heart ached as she watched him, her voice barely a whisper, "Mr. Parker, do you truly intend to marry Chloe?"

Her earnest question, eyes glistening with unshed tears, made it difficult for anyone to lie.

Liam looked away, "You said she wasn't beautiful."

"So what?" Charlotte couldn't believe her ears. Just last night, she had swallowed her pride and insisted to Liam that Chloe, with her marred face, couldn't compare to her own beauty, pleading with him to reconsider their engagement, to give her a chance instead.

What did Liam's words mean now? Had he changed his mind? Was he not going to proceed with the engagement to Chloe?

Charlotte needed a clear answer, desperation clear in her voice, "I don't understand, Liam. Tell me you won't go through with the engagement to Chloe, right?"

Disregarding her dignity, she clutched at his arm, tears ready to spill from her eyes at any moment.

Her pitiable state tugged at Liam's heart.

Just as he was about to say no, her tears fell.

"I know you despise me, tired of my constant pestering," she sobbed. "Mr. Parker, I promise, if you don't marry Chloe, I will never bother you again."

She was at her wit's end.

Even when Liam hadn't grown weary of her, he still wouldn't break his promise to Chloe.

Now that he was clearly disgusted with her, there was nothing she could do to stop him from marrying Chloe.

Liam's feelings for Chloe were real.

But her desperate pleas couldn't sway the outcome.

Liam pulled his arm away forcefully, eyes reddened.

Stop bothering him?

Was she discarding him once she got his promise not to marry Chloe because he was no longer of any use to her?

"Charlotte," he said, more heartbreak than anger in his voice.

"Chloe is my best choice."

His cold stare was a stark contrast to the warmth they once shared, "What right do you have to interfere with my marriage?" Hearing him say that, Charlotte's heart turned to ice.

The best choice, the woman he most adored-put together, he truly had no reason to abandon Chloe.

"I understand," Charlotte said, her voice steady as she rose to her feet, her tears unstoppable.

She couldn't bear to look at Liam any longer. She drifted towards the door like a lost soul.

"I won't stand in your way anymore. Don't worry, I'll resign and leave."

Thwarting Liam from becoming Chloe's pillar was merely the opening gambit in a long game of revenge, but far from the most critical move.

Even with Liam in her corner, Chloe wasn't invincible; opportunities for retribution would surely arise.

Yet... Charlotte bit her lip, a prisoner of her own turbulent thoughts.

The harsh truth settled like a storm cloud; she would never have her moments with Liam again.

She harbored no grand illusions of love, merely a longing to bask a little longer in his presence.

But even this modest wish remained unfulfilled.

As despair threatened to swallow her whole she reached for the door to make her exit, a firm hand clasped over hers, anchoring her to the spot.

Charlotte froze, any semblance of hope dissolving into the ether.

"What do you think you're doing, Mr. Parker?"

"Leaving after attacking my fiancée? It's not as easy as you think," he countered, a steely edge to his voice.

Charlotte trembled slightly, recalling how Chloe's attempt to mar her face had, in a twist of fate, resulted in her own injury amidst a ballet of spilled coffee.

She was an innocent bystander in her own tragedy.

"Do you have proof it was my doing?" she retorted.

"No need for proof. Chloe's accusation is enough," his voice was a dark omen, "and that makes it your doing."

"Believing only her side of the story?" Charlotte's voice dripped with irony.

His favoritism towards Chloe was obvious, a shield of bias she couldn't penetrate.

Realizing escape was unattainable today, Charlotte inhaled deeply and posed the question directly, "So, Mr. Parker, how do you plan to avenge Chloe? Will you maim my face or break my hands?" Despair was all Liam had to offer her today.

Whatever he chose to do now wouldn't surprise her in the least.

Her defiance ignited his fury anew, "Silence!"

Liam glared, searching her eyes for a sliver of softness, any hint of vulnerability.

He needed just a glimpse of it to excuse her actions.

But found none.

Her gaze was a fortress of stubbornness and anger as if he was the most unforgivable foe.

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Tired of her confrontational stance, he summoned Henry to escort Charlotte back to the company.

"Why to the company? After I supposedly mangled Chloe's face, do you still want me as your PA? Aren't you worried Chloe will be furious?" she challenged.

"Miss Perry, enough!" Henry led her away.

Even after the door closed, Liam could still hear her defiant cries.

What did she have left to shout about?

Sinking into the couch, Liam massaged his throbbing temples with a weary hand.

Daniel entered, treading lightly, "What happened? Did Chloe really come after Charlotte?"

When Daniel got a message from the servant asking what Chloe liked to eat, he sensed something was off. After checking, he indeed found out that Chloe had come to the hospital. He had informed Liam, who had rushed from a meeting to the hospital, fearing Chloe might take advantage of Charlotte's vulnerability.

How had it come to this, Charlotte leaving in tears, and Mr. Parker looking so defeated?

"Mr. Parker..."

"She's promised to stop haunting me if I drop the idea of marrying Chloe."

"What?" Daniel was incredulous, nearly unable to grasp the weight of her words.

Liam chuckled, a touch of scorn in his voice, "Well, I'm not about to grant her that wish."

"But you can't mean... Mr. Parker!" Daniel blurted out, his protest falling short. Before he could finish, Liam had already strode out of the room with purpose.

On the other end, Charlotte found herself ushered straight into the company.

Henry told her to wait in the CEO's office for Liam, but Charlotte flatly refused, "I'm not going. If I end up wetting any documents, I can't take that responsibility."

With no other choice, Henry stationed her in the manager's office, making it clear she was to be kept under watchful eyes.

Henry had no choice but to keep her manager's office.

Charlotte spent her day cloistered in the quiet of the office until Daniel arrived at dusk, his eyes heavy with sympathy.

"Mr. Parker's engagement to Chloe is set for tomorrow evening," he informed her, his voice gentle yet firm, "and you're expected to be there."