She truly hadn’t expected Evander to be so ruthless.

For Tricia’s sake, he was willing to do anything.

“Charlotte, watch your tone!” Xavier wasn’t siding with his daughter; instead, he scolded her for speaking too harshly, then turned to Evander with a forced smile. “Evander, don’t mind her. She’s just a bit hot–tempered, that’s all.”

Charlotte said nothing, holding Evander’s gaze.

Evander leaned back in his chair, his eyes meeting hers. “Hiram assaulted someone. The Fontaines refuse to settle and are determined to see him behind bars. So what now? Does the Sterling family think that just because they’ve gotten close to the Howard family, they can ignore thew?”

Mr. and Mrs. Sterling flinched, their faces drained of color.

Charlotte clenched her fists. “He seriously injured someone, so yes, the sentence might be justified. But have you even looked into what actually happened?”

Evander frowned.

She pressed on, “I spoke to thewyer that day and reviewed the case. Hiram didn’t throw the first punch. It was self–defense–he just went too far.”

“I’m not awyer.”

Charlotte felt her heart drop, teetering on the edge of breaking down. She braced her hands against the table. “Evander, what do you want from me?”

It was the first time she’d lost control–lost her temper–in front of him.

After six years of ying the perfect wife, she couldn’t keep up the act anymore.

Natalie watched in shock. She hadn’t met Charlotte many times, but her impression was always of someone mild and uining.

bToo /bmild, in fact.

bWhich /bbwas why /bbeveryone /bthought bshe /bbwas /bbeasy /bbto /bpush baround/b.

bEvander /bbtapped /bbhis /bbfingers /bbidly /bbon /bbthe /bbtable/bb, /bboffering /bbno /bbresponse/b. bEveryone /bbexpected /bbhim /bbto /bbsnap/bb, /bbto /bbget /bbangry/bb. /b

bBut /bbhe /bbdidn’t/b.

After a long silence, the corner of his mouth curled almost imperceptibly. “Either Hiram goes to jail, or you swallow your pride and apologize to Tricia. The choice is yours.”

Charlotte stared at him, stunned, her breath catching in her chest.

“You know full well-”

“Lottie, it’s just an apology,” Xavier interrupted, trying to reason with her. “Isn’t your brother’s future more important?”

She turned to Xavier in disbelief, her eyes brimming with tears.

They say parents are a child’s strongest support.

But all she had was strength.

No one to lean on.

Rachel, Charlotte’s mother, hesitated, biting her lip before finally steeling herself. “Lottie, please… help your brother.”

Her daughter had always been obedient, always the one she worried about least.

She knew Charlotte was hurt, but marriage always meant someone had topromise…

Suddenly, Charlotte let out a brittleugh, tipping her head back to swallow her tears. She ran through every funny thing she could remember in her life just to keep from crying. “Fine. I’ll apologize,”

She wiped the corner of her eye with her palm and looked at Evander. “Mr. Howard, is that enough for you?“”

Evander saw right through her forcedposure and felt a strange pang in his chest.

bBut /bshe’d crossed a line.

bShe’d /bbignored /bhis words,

bShe /bbdeserved /bthis.

bEvander /bbrose /bbto /bbhis /bbfeet/bb, /bbcalm /bband /bbdeliberate/bb. /bb“/bbNatalie/bb, /bbgo /bbto /bbthew /bboffice/b. bTake /bmy bInstructions /bbwith /bbyou/bb. /b

Natalie bnodded /band left bthe /bboffice/b.

bEvander /bbnced /bbat /bbCharlotte/b. “Since byou’ve /bbmade /bbyour /bbchoice/bb, /bbe /bbwith /bbme /bbto /bbthe /b

Chapter 4U

hospital.”

Charlotte followed him out.

Rachel watched them go, her own heart aching. She truly didn’t know if letting her daughter go on suffering in this marriage was the right thing to do…

In the back seat of the car:

Charlotte sat beside Evander, silent, staring out the window. From the moment she got in, she acted as if he didn’t exist.

Evander’s brow furrowed; he’d been on edge since they left the office. “Charlotte, you’re giving me the cold shoulder now?”

She ignored him.

He loosened his tie and turned toward her. “I’m talking to you.”

“You once told me, Mr. Howard, that when we’re in the same room, I should keep quiet and not bother you.”