THE CEO’S ACCIDENTAL BRIDE

CHAPTER 10

Just then, the apartment door was pushed open from the outside, and Ethan’s face lit up with excitement. His voice became lighter as he exclaimed, "Miss Cooper…”

But it wasn't Maya who walked in; it was Charles. He strode in with his long legs, casually tossing his black coat onto the sofa. Looking up, his eyes scanned Ethan before he lazily sank into the couch. "You seem really eager to welcome Miss Cooper..."

Disappointed, Ethan plopped down on the sofa as well, saying nothing and fixating on the clock.

It was already 8:30. Why hadn't Miss Cooper arrived yet?

Charles loosened his tie, revealing a fitted gray shirt that showcased his muscular chest. He glanced sideways at Ethan and said in a low voice, "You should go rest. Your Miss Cooper isn't coming today..."

Ethan immediately turned to him, alarmed. "Why not?"

"She got taken to the police station," Charles replied nonchalantly, his long fingers flipping through some documents on the coffee table.

Ethan’s heart sank, and he couldn't help but feel even more confused. Why would she be taken to the police station? And how does Charles know about this?

Without lifting his head, Charles’ voice remained indifferent as he casually crossed his legs on the coffee table. "I happened to see..."

At this, Ethan felt a surge of urgency and complained, "Since you've seen her, why didn’t you just bring her out, Charles?"

"Who is she to me?" Charles replied, his lips barely moving, showing no sign of emotion. He cast a glance at Ethan, his tone carrying an undeniable authority. "Go back to your room and rest. If you disturb me again, you will head back to the Mansion..."

Upon hearing this, Ethan fell silent, not daring to argue further with his older brother. Reluctantly, he walked toward his room.

As he placed his hand on the door lock, a thought seemed to strike him, and his eyes lit up with a flicker of excitement.

Just then, while he was signing his name with flair, the sudden ringing of his phone shattered the silence. Charles picked it up, his voice deep and serious. "Hello?" The person on the other end said something that made Charles's handsome brows furrow slowly. He pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly feeling exasperated.

Madame Claire Darwin.

Madame Claire’s voice came on the other end, sounding equally frustrated. "I know it can be frustrating, but after all, she’s Ethan’s homeroom teacher and tutor. Ethan has been pestering me. Please go and take her out for my sake..."

"Alright, Mom, I understand. You take care of yourself..." Charles replied a couple of times before hanging up the phone.

Ethan, who had been eavesdropping behind the door, broke into a smile but quickly shut the door again.

He had caught a glimpse of his brother's icy gaze directed at him, and it was genuinely frightening.

But he was indeed left with no choice; he didn't dare to provoke his brother and could only seek help from their mother.

***********

At the police station, Maya sat wide awake, lost in thought.

“Maya Cooper, who is Maya Cooper?”

Suddenly, a loud female voice rang out. Startled, Maya hesitated for a moment, but despite her confusion, she responded, standing up, “It's me.”

The middle-aged female officer stared at her for several moments before muttering under her breath, “I wonder how much good luck she must have accumulated in her past life to have such good fortune.”

The officer's voice was too low for Maya to hear clearly, and by that time, she had already opened the prison door, saying, “Let’s go.”

Go where?

With a sense of confusion, Maya followed the officer down the hall.

She never expected to be led to the chief's office, where two other people were present.

The man sitting directly opposite her was clearly the chief, dressed in a police uniform, while the handsome man in a black coat standing with his back facing her exuded elegance and arrogance.

But why did that man seem somewhat familiar? She stared at his back for three seconds, and then her eyes widened in disbelief.

How...how could it be him?

"I'll take her now," Charles said coolly.

"Thank you for coming all this way, Mr. Darwin. You really could have just called," the chief said, his tone dripping with flattery. With his long fingers, Charles extinguished his cigarette and turned to walk out of the office.

Maya stood frozen, still biting her lip in shock, trying to make sense of the situation unfolding before her.

As they brushed past each other, Charles paused, turned around, and raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you coming?"

"Right, I'm coming," she quickly replied, lifting her head.

Charles nodded, his gaze sweeping over her before he took the lead.

She had imagined this moment countless times, but she never expected it would be him taking her out. Step by step, she followed closely behind him, her eyes landing on his broad, sturdy back. She bit her lip, her thoughts drifting.

Why did he come here to take her away?

A black Range Rover was parked by the roadside.

"Get in," he said casually, opening the passenger door.

The evening suddenly turned cold as a chilling wind swept through.

Maya rubbed her frozen face and spotted a pair of ash-gray gloves in her bag. She quickly called out to the tall figure ahead, "Wait a moment, Mr. Darwin!"

Charles paused for what felt like the umpteenth time that night, a hint of impatience etched on his brow. "What’s wrong?"

She stepped forward and handed him the gloves. "Thank you, Mr. Darwin." Taking the gloves, Charles's gaze fell on them. While the color and style were different from Ethan’s pair, it was clear they were hand-knitted too.

His deep-set eyes regarded her with a hint of amusement as he smirked slightly. "Giving every man around you a pair of gloves? Is that a special quirk of Miss Cooper?"

"What?" Maya asked, puzzled, unable to grasp the meaning behind his words.

Noticing the confusion in her eyes, Charles lost interest in continuing that line of conversation. He casually tucked the gloves into his coat and said, "Get in the car."

Feeling even more bewildered, she glanced at his back before walking around to the other side to get in.

Once settled and buckled up, Maya quickly pulled out her phone and dialed her brother, Benjamin Cooper's number. However, the next moment, she frowned. Her phone had run out of battery at the worst possible moment.

Reluctantly, she turned around and said shyly, “Mr. Darwin, could I borrow your phone for a moment? Mine is disconnected because I have no battery left.”

Upon hearing this, Charles’ expression didn’t change. He continued to look straight ahead, turning the steering wheel with one hand while passing his phone to her with the other.

“Thank you,” she said gratefully. After a moment, the call connected. “Hey, where are you right now?”

“I’m still in Asheville City. What’s up?” Benjamin’s voice came in.

“Do you know that Tessa sold the house?”

Benjamin’s voice was taken aback. “Sold it? When did that happen?”

Maya gritted her teeth. “It just happened in the last couple of days. The property deed has your name on it, and if you weren’t there to sign it in person with your ID, how could that house possibly be sold? Where are you right now?”