SWNOVELS Chapter 9: Found yourself a new daddy, have you?
Perhaps it was the bloom of adulthood that had reshaped her features.
Casting doubts aside, Charlotte offered to dry Chloe's hair, seizing the hairdryer like a peace offering.
"The winds are fierce today, and damp locks could lead to a cold. Mr. Parker would be heartbroken if Miss Beaumont fell ill."
Chloe, elated by the ring she had received, welcomed Charlotte's kind gesture.
Gently, Charlotte blew warm air through Chloe's hair, discreetly pocketing a few strands that fell loose.
During this, Chloe sipped on milk tea, and without notice, Charlotte salvaged the straw, tucking it away safely.
After her task was complete, Charlotte bid farewell, and Chloe, in high spirits, walked her to the door.
A few meters out, Chloe's inquisitive voice called out.
"Sister?"
That single word sent Charlotte's heart into disarray, her feet suddenly heavy as lead.
She turned, bewildered, "What did you say, Miss Beaumont?"
Chloe offered a bittersweet smile, "It's just... your silhouette reminds me of my sister."
"Does Miss Beaumont have a sister?"
"No..." Chloe's smile waned, "I had a severe illness as a child. When I awoke, many memories were lost, but I vaguely remember a sister who adored me, who gave me her candy and contented herself with just the wrapper." Charlotte fought back tears.
The night before she was sent away, she had tried to flee with her sister, who, too young to run, was coaxed along with the promise of sweets.
A memory that had unexpectedly become their last.
"Miss Beaumont's sister... must have loved you dearly," Charlotte said, her fist clenched to maintain a semblance of composure.
"I'm not sure," Chloe mused, "Mother insists I never had a sister. Sometimes, I wonder if she was just a figment of my dreams."
With a melancholy laugh, Chloe's tone shifted, "Miss Perry, there are rumors swirling around the company..."
Before Charlotte could defend herself, Chloe continued, "But I trust you. From the moment I saw you, you felt familiar, not the person they portray you to be."
"It's all slander... My relations with the staff at the president's office are strained; they enjoy fabricating stories." Charlotte's heart turned cold.
Just moments before, she was overjoyed by the memory her sister retained, and now, she was plunged back into the abyss of the relationship between her sister and Liam.
"I was planning to resign... Miss Beaumont, that was my intention, I..." Charlotte started to explain, her words laced with a mix of urgency and a plea for understanding.
"It's okay," Chloe said with a warm smile, "I believe you."
With that, she turned back inside.
Charlotte was left to wallow in her sorrow, not catching the flicker of mockery that crossed Chloe's lips as she turned away.
Leaving the Beaumont estate in a daze, Charlotte rushed to a DNA testing center. She handed over the collected samples of Chloe's hair and the straw, requesting a comparison with her own DNA. But the results would take five to seven days.
"Can it be expedited? I'll pay extra!" she pleaded, the wait unbearable.
"That's not possible. The samples you provided are not fresh enough; they need cultivation. Five days is the quickest," they explained.
"Is that so? Thank you for your time," Charlotte sighed deeply after thanking the staff, mocking her impatience inwardly.
After all, what was five more days after so many years?
As she was about to leave, a male voice called out from behind, "Excuse me, miss!"
Charlotte turned to see a handsome man approaching quickly.
She frowned slightly, "Hello, can I help you?"
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The man paused before her, his gaze intently scanning her face, his scrutiny causing Charlotte to step back.
Realizing his manners, he offered an apologetic smile, "You bear a striking resemblance to someone in an old friend's painting. Do you, by any chance, have a sister?" A sister?
Did this man know Chloe?
On guard, Charlotte asked, "And who might you be?"
"I'm Vincent Blackwood, heir to..."
At the mention of that name, Charlotte's defenses went up.
Vincent Blackwood is the sole progeny of the Blackwood family.
After being by Liam's side for quite some time, she was no stranger to the complex web of relationships that surrounded him, especially the notorious bad blood between the Parker and Blackwood families. Liam and Vincent were like oil and water, getting into a tangle at the slightest provocation.
Now that Chloe's engagement to Liam was in the works, Charlotte knew the animosity between him and Vincent could only spell trouble.
If Vincent ever discovered her connection to Chloe and the sordid secret of her birth family, he would undoubtedly use it to Chloe's detriment.
"I have no sister, and I do not know you, goodbye," Charlotte flatly denied, beating a hasty retreat.
Her heart still raced as she made her way back to the office, a pounding reminder of her panic.
Reaching the 24th floor, she was met with the sight of her colleagues in the president's office, jittery as leaves in a storm.
The head of the secretarial department caught sight of her and immediately chided, "Where have you been gallivanting off to during work hours? Snap out of it and get in there clean up that mess!" Charlotte barely processed his words when she entered the president's office, only to be greeted by a flying tissue box that hit her squarely in the face.
Liam, fierce with rage, flung a piece of paper at her face.
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"A resignation letter? Are you playing games with me, Charlotte?"
His voice echoed with the betrayal he felt.
"What did I do to deserve this!" he exclaimed, pulling her close.
"Is it the money? Am I not giving you enough? Or is it the lack of a title that bothers you?"
"No... it's none of that..." Charlotte responded, not resisting, her heart sinking with sorrow.
Liam had done nothing wrong. He provided her a respectable job and even shielded her from Robert's harassment, settling his gambling debts on her behalf.
He had been more than fair to her.
"Mr. Parker," she began, unsure of how to explain, she managed only a dry response, "You're getting engaged, and we..."
"So if I wasn't getting engaged, you'd stay?" His eyes gleamed with scorn. "Tell me, if you say the word, I'll do whatever you want."
Charlotte was momentarily taken aback before realizing he was mocking her.
She closed her eyes, filled with sorrow, "Mr. Parker, this is where we part ways. You've got my resignation letter. Let's end things on good terms."
The paternity test hadn't come back yet, but she was almost certain that Chloe was her long-lost sister.
The paternity test results weren't out yet, but she felt there was a very strong chance that Chloe was her long-lost sister.
She couldn't bear to continue appearing before Chloe.
"End things on good terms? You think you're in a position to use those words?" Beneath Liam's harsh demeanor was an unmistakable weariness.
She wouldn't take the out he offered; his strained efforts to keep her seemed like a farce.
At that moment, Henry's voice came from outside, trying to bar entry," Mr. Blackwood, you can't go in there! Please, Mr. Blackwood!"
"Mr. Parker, giving a young lady such a hard time is hardly gentlemanly," he proclaimed.
"Vincent Blackwood?"
Liam's voice carried a mix of anger and laughter, his suspicious gaze shifting between the two before settling on Charlotte, "No wonder you're so eager to flee. Found yourself a new daddy, have you? What, does he offer you more generous compensation?"