SWNOVELS Chapter 4
Chapter 4 Got Anything To Say?
As the exposition was wrapping up, Charlotte came out from the restroom and found the corridor noticeably quiet.
A bit away, Zachary leaned against the marble wall, a cigarette in his hand. His suave figure set against the dark grey backdrop radiated sophistication. His presence stirred Charlotte momentarily. She hadn’t expected him to confront her so soon.
“Charlotte Lynn.” His call was icy, laced with swirling emotions, and his eyes mirrored his agitation.
Ignoring him, Charlotte casually tossed a disposable tissue into a nearby trash bin. She had no desire to engage in a conversation with him. However, as she attempted to pass by, Zachary made a sudden move and grabbed her arm.
Before she knew it, her back was against the cold marble wall, sandwiched by Zachary’s imposing frame. Staying calm in contrast to his stormy eyes, she admonished him coolly, “I don’t think you should do this, Mr. Sullivan.”
Her icy tone hurt Zachary. Unmoved, Zachary tipped her chin up, his voice wavering with urgency. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
“And what exactly do you think I should say?” she quipped back. Her detached response provoked a sharper look from him.
“Do you know how long I’ve been searching for you?” Over the past three arduous years, he had been looking for her, dismissing the notion that she had succumbed to the Ruby River’s current. Despite relentless efforts, she had remained beyond his reach.
His confession dragged a bitter laugh from her. “Really? Why? In need of another life-saving favor for Annie?” He didn’t miss the scorn in her tone. “Charlotte!” Zachary raised his voice.
Charlotte shot back, “What’s gotten into you? You are a murderer, after all! Now let me pass.” She couldn’t, and wouldn’t, forget that Zachary was once willing to trade her and their unborn child to save his mistress, Annie Lopez.
“I gotta say, I’m shocked,” she added, her smile tainted with cynicism. “Back then, it was me and our child who were supposed to pay the price for your darling to be as fit as a fiddle today.”
Although her voice was deceptively sweet, it couldn’t mask the icy glare in her eyes. “Such a pity, though. Still alive and kicking.”
Zachary flashed her a cold stare. “Enough!”
“Hey, cool it,” Charlotte replied defensively. “I was just talking about myself.” Swiftly, she broke free from his grasp.
Seeing the discontent across Zachary’s face, Charlotte suspected he wasn’t happy about the fact that she was still alive.
A complicated mix of emotions swirled inside Zachary. He didn’t know Charlotte could be so defiant. He felt her break away from his hold. Standing firm, she adjusted her gown with an air of nonchalance.
Before more words could be exchanged, Gordon appeared around the corner. He took an anxious glance at the pair, unnerved by their unexpected interaction. He was worried about the potential complications.
“We should head back, Charlotte,” Gordon suggested, his gaze never leaving Zachary.
Gordon broke the tension with a warm smile before motioning Charlotte to leave with him. “Mom has been trying to reach you. She cooks you some pies. Let’s go back.”
Charlotte merely nodded in agreement, pointedly ignoring Zachary. She turned to Gordon, her voice laced with affection. “Hurry, babe. I don’t want her to worry.”
“Okay.”
As the duo turned around, hand-in-hand, Gordon couldn’t resist sending a smug smile over his shoulder at Zachary. Resuming their departure, Gordon felt a dark voice trailing them. “Is he your new sugar daddy?”
Both Gordon and Charlotte froze for a second, exchanging perturbed glances.
“No, Mr. Sullivan,” Charlotte interrupted, “he’s my husband.”
“Your husband?”
Zachary’s head spun as he struggled to swallow her declaration. His mind swarmed with Charlotte’s statement, each repetition intensifying the burning fury in his eyes.
All Charlotte could offer in response was a scoff. Just as she was about to leave, Zachary seized her wrist firmly, nearly crushing it. “Do you understand what you’re saying, Charlotte?”
“Did you not hear me, Mr. Sullivan?” Charlotte retorted, barely disguising a smirk.