Lena was two years younger than Charlotte. She was twenty–five this year and still single. She had never bbeen /bin a rtionship. But never having dated didn’t mean she had never liked someone,

The reason she had stayed single all these years was because she had someone in her heart–someone she could never have.

Charlotte knew exactly who that person was.

His name was Joshua Jenson, the son of Lena’s childhood nanny.

Joshua came from an ordinary family. There was a huge gap between him and the Zellers in terms of social ssb. /bThere was no way Lena’s family would ever approve.

Gentle and well–mannered as she was, even Lena had once mustered up the courage to chase after love.

The summer after high school, on the day she turned eighteen, she finally confessed her feelings to Joshua.

But he turned her down.

Aside from the two of them, only Charlotte and Mia

When Charlotte ran into Tyler at thest cocktail party, she hadn’t told him that Lena was already holding a torch for someone else.

what had happened. Not even Lena’s brother, Jordanb, /bwas aware of it.

“Lena, are you still hung up on Joshua?” Charlotte asked her. “It’s been so many years. Have you never thought about moving on?”

A faint, bitter smile tugged at Lena’s lips. Her expression dimmed as she replied softly, “He’s be an obsession. I don’t think I have the strength to fall for anyone else.‘

Over the years, Lena had never dated.

And neither had Joshua.

Both Charlotte and Mia could tell Joshua had feelings for Lena too.

But he was painfully aware he wasn’t good enough for her. All these years, he had never let her get close, probably because he didn’t want her to lower herself or suffer with him.

Inparison, Tyler was objectively a better match for Lena.

“Do you remember Tyler?” Charlotte asked suddenly.

“Of course,” Lena said. “Isn’t he a friend of Ian’s? We had dinner with himst time, right?”

“I don’t mean that time,” Charlotte said, watching her closely. “You actually met him way before that. Do you remember?”

Lena frowned, thinking for a few seconds. “11

him before? I don’t remember at all.”

“I ran into him at a cocktail party recently,” Charlotte exined. “He told me that years ago, he went to your. brother and happened to meet you. You were in your first year of high school.”

Lena’s brow creased. “First year? I was only sixteen. That was nine years ago. No wonder I don’t remember.”

b“/bHave you seen himtely?”

Lena nodded lightly. “Yesterday at the office. I think he came to discuss something with my brother.”

‘He didn’t ask for your number?”

“No.” Lena looked confused. “Why are you suddenly asking about him?”

se to bsee /byour

Charlotte took ba /bbsip /bof btea/bb, /bdebating whether to btell /bher that Tyler was interested in her.

After a moment’s thoughtb, /bshe decided against it.

Feelings weren’t something outsiders should interfere with.

“It’s nothing. I just ran into him at that party. He mentioned seeing you before, and I thought it was kind of funny, bso /bI brought it up.”

Lena didn’t think much of it and soon changed the subject.

After spending the afternoon shopping with Lena, Charlotte returned to her private vi.

As the car pulled up to the garden near the entrance of the neighborhood, Charlotte nced out the window and froze.

Sitting on a park bench and talking on the phone was a man she knew all too well.

“What’s Sean doing here?” she thought.

Desmond and Xena asionally came by this area to check in on bher/b. If they ran into himb, /bthings could get messy.

Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat. “Petra, stop the car.“.

As soon as the car stopped, she opened the door and made a beeline for the garden.

Sean was deep in conversationb, /bso focused on his call that he didn’t notice Charlotte approaching.

She came to a halt right in front of him. “What are you doing here?

Sean sat with his head down, focused on his call. The first thing he noticed were her shoes–ck Saint Laurent heeled sandals. His gaze slowly moved up, taking in a pair of long, fair legs.

Then he looked up, tilting his head slightly, and his eyes met Charlotte’s.