Chapter 4
Yet another glass of water was shoved in front of me.
I turned my head, annoyed, only to be greeted by Lochlan's deadpan expression.
How many glasses of water were this today? Would it kill him to bring me something different for once?
Even if I were a mocha addict, there was no way I could survive drinking a dozen cups in one day.
For the past few days, I hadn't stirred up any drama, so Lochlan finally breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
A week later, Nathan returned hand in hand with Charlotte. Every middle and upper-level manager in the company lined up to greet them.
"Hello, Mr. Hawthorne."
"Hello, Ms. Quinn."
They all half-bowed in unison, their voices perfectly synchronized.
This was the grand welcome Nathan had arranged for Charlotte, showing everyone just how much he cared about his fiancée.
As his personal secretary, I was naturally part of the welcoming committee.
Nathan didn't even look my way.
Charlotte, holding onto his arm, walked right past me without so much as a glance.
To the rich and powerful, I was just an ant. If everything fell apart, I'd be nobody, barely worth a second of their attention.
"Two coffees." That was Nathan's first order to me.
It'd been ages since I had to fetch drinks for anyone.
But today, it was clear that he wanted to make a statement in front of his fiancée.
Charlotte finally acknowledged me with a glance and said, "Thank you."
Her voice was soft, with the kind of grace from someone born into money.
She was way easier to get along with than those kept women.
Honestly, that alone gave me a pretty good impression of her.
Nathan was a black coffee guy.
Charlotte, however, was a devotee of kopi luwak, and she was super picky about how it was brewed. Honestly, there probably weren't more than a handful of people in Riverdale who could make it to her exacting standards.
So when I brought her a cup of kopi luwak and she took a sip, her gaze lingered on me with a hint of interest.
Charlotte glanced at me and said, "Ms. Rocha, mind if we have a chat?"
She'd found a moment to pull me aside.
Nathan and Lochlan instantly tensed up.
Nathan's expression was unreadable, cool as ice. He just said, "Go ahead."
As I went to grab my bag, Lochlan brushed past me, murmuring a warning, "You know what to do."
Sometimes I was convinced Lochlan was as loyal to Nathan as a devoted dog.
Charlotte and I sat facing each other at a café across the street.
She ordered another cup of kopi luwak, while I just went for a plain cappuccino.
"Honestly, I came here today just to see what kind of woman has been with Nathan for ten years," Charlotte said, her eyes sizing me up.
Not even the happiest couples could have sustained that kind of polite, picture-perfect love for ten years, like the way Nathan and I did.
I glanced around at all the eyes watching me, a faint smile tugging at my lips.
"So, Ms. Quinn, what do you think now that you've seen me?" I asked.
I met her gaze, warm, poised, and quietly confident.
Charlotte took a sip of the kopi luwak, and her disappointment was written all over her face. It was worlds apart from the one I'd brewed for her. She shoved the cup aside, not even considering a second taste.
"You really aren't like those tacky social climbers I've met before," she said. "You're sharp. So, what's your next plan?"
My next plan?
I wasn't about to throw it all away for a stupid romance.
I was not that overdramatic girl anymore.
No way I was messing with the Hawthorne family and the Quinn family.
Most importantly, I finally understood how the game was played in these circles.
For someone like me, I had to be useful enough and harmless enough. Otherwise, I'd end up as a thorn in their side, and they would make sure I disappeared for good.
I slid my already-prepared resignation letter across the table to her.
Charlotte raised her brows in surprise, even though this was pretty much the whole reason she'd come here.
She'd done her research. Nathan had plenty of kept women around him, but none ever lasted more than three years by his side.
The fact that I'd been here for ten years undeniably made her wary.
If she didn't deal with me, there was no way she could feel at ease marrying Nathan.
We were both smart enough. There was no need for pretense or small talk.
She simply asked, "Can you really walk away?"
I smiled, keeping it classy.
"Mr. Hawthorne always told me. Before marriage, he could live however he wanted, but once he's married, he'll be all in for his wife. I know my place," I said.
I didn't shy away from being his kept woman, and I didn't play the victim. Instead, I highlighted just how much Nathan respected and valued his future wife.
No doubt, that answer hit the mark for Charlotte.
For the first time, there was real warmth in her eyes as she smiled.
"So, do you have any plans after leaving Summit Group?" Charlotte asked, her tone casual but probing.
She was testing me, but I didn't shy away.
"Thanks to Mr. Hawthorne, I've learned enough to carve out my own path now," I replied.
Charlotte gave me a look of genuine surprise.
I smiled, "Don't worry, Ms. Quinn. I won't be staying near Mr. Hawthorne or getting in the way of his happiness. I'm not that ungrateful."
"Ungrateful? That's a clever way to put it. No wonder you've lasted ten years by his side," Charlotte said.
She got exactly what she came for, and to my surprise, our conversation turned out to be pretty enjoyable.
Everyone keeping tabs on me finally relaxed.
As Charlotte got up, Nathan was already at the door to pick her up.
He slipped his arm around her waist, not even sparing me a glance.