Chapter 2
Vivian pressed her lower lip, her eyes flickering with unshed tears.
"I don't mean anything else. I just want to thank you for looking after Charlotte; she means so much to me. Please, keep taking good care of her," Vivian said.
With deliberate care, Vivian placed Charlotte's hand into Henry's, her gaze holding no trace of blessing, only the aggrieved tears of someone whose love had been taken from her.
Charlotte felt her temper shoot up out of nowhere.
Vivian schemed her way into the Wynn family, and now she was clinging to the man who was about to be her son-in-law in front of everyone? And she was acting like she was the victim? Seriously, what right did Vivian have to feel wronged?
Just as Charlotte was about to step forward, Henry suddenly tightened his grip on her hand. He clenched his jaw and let out a cold, mocking laugh.
Henry said, his tone full of sarcasm, "Oh, wonderful.
"Charlotte's young, gorgeous, and smart. We're crazy about each other, so you really don't need to worry. Maybe you should pay more attention to whether Charlotte's dad is doing alright."
Vivian pretended not to pick up on Henry's sarcasm, answered angrily, and marched off without ever noticing the regret and longing in Henry's eyes as he watched her leave.
Charlotte's nose tingled as she fought back the urge to cry, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat.
The very next moment, Henry snatched the only umbrella overhead and threw it over to Vivian.
"If you want to leave, then just go. And if you're so tough, don't bother coming back," Henry shouted.
When Vivian still didn't look back, Henry's temper snapped. His expression darkened with rage as he dragged Charlotte into the car.
"Mr. Pierce, Mrs. Wynn just fell," the driver said.
"Just drive. Don't worry about her. The only person I care about is Charlotte. That scheming old woman wouldn't care if she dropped dead," Henry said.
He turned sideways and wrapped his arm around Charlotte, continuing.
"Charlotte, what kind of wedding dress do you want? Something simple, or something extravagant?" Henry asked.
He seemed serious about the wedding dress, but he didn't even realize he kept sneaking glances at the rearview mirror, his breathing getting faster and faster.
Finally, when he saw a sleazy guy reaching for Vivian in a creepy way, Henry snapped.
"Asshole," Henry muttered under his breath.
He was so desperate that he didn't even bother telling the driver to stop; he just flung the car door open and jumped out.
He was so frantic, so desperate; it was as if Vivian was the one he was meant to spend his whole life with. And Charlotte, his official girlfriend, felt heartbreakingly like she was just there to fill a role, utterly insignificant.
Charlotte closed her eyes, pulled out her phone, and for the first time ever, replied to Lucas Drake, the crazy guy who sent her daily messages just to check in, messages she always ignored.
Charlotte sent: [I'm getting married in two weeks. Do you dare to crash my wedding?]
Henry wasn't the only one who could change his bride-to-be whenever he felt like it. Charlotte could play that game too.
Back in her senior year of high school, Charlotte had picked up Lucas, a wild, crazy guy she found wandering the streets, and took him in as her little brother.
As Lucas grew, he became increasingly eye-catching. Numerous heiresses from all the big families chased after him, but he just rolled his eyes at them. The only time he wore that fierce, possessive look of a wolf staking its claim was when looking at Charlotte.
Later, he even made a bet with Henry that they'd both be tied up as live targets, and whoever managed to dodge eighteen throwing knives from a blind man would win Charlotte's hand.
At this moment, Charlotte had no idea that the little brother she sent off to be hardened by a mercenary group overseas had, after a few years, become Mr. Drake, the name that made both sides of the law tremble.
Her phone buzzed with a reply almost instantly.
Lucas replied: [Just wait.]
His voice was so confident and relaxed, like he had the whole world in his hands. Charlotte could practically see Lucas now, lounging around with his hands shoved in his pockets, that cocky, bad-boy grin tugging at his lips.
When Henry came back, he had a dripping-wet Vivian in tow.
"Charlotte, no matter what, she's still your stepmom. Leaving her out here by herself just doesn't feel right, so maybe we should..." Henry said.
He glanced at the empty seat next to Charlotte but didn't finish. Charlotte refused to say a word, just kept her eyes glued to the window.
If there was one thing Henry knew about relationships, it was that when his girlfriend went silent, she was definitely mad.
Even though he could tell Charlotte was upset, Henry still pulled open the front passenger door and practically pushed Vivian inside. Then he shot Charlotte a sulky, petulant look, as if it was her fault for being so unreasonable.
Vivian fought him off, really putting up a struggle.
"No, please. How could I sit in Charlotte's car, or let her driver take me anywhere? Please, just let me out. Don't make things worse for our family, okay?" Vivian said.
Charlotte caught the troubled look on Henry's face, but there was no way she could ever soften up toward the woman responsible for Andrea's death.
Her stance was crystal clear, but Henry just brushed it off. He forcefully shoved the resisting Vivian into the passenger seat, then slid behind the wheel, fixing Charlotte with a cold, piercing stare that felt like it could cut right through her.
"Is this good enough for you now?" Henry said, his voice sharp.