Chapter 5 Take Down the Entire Williams Family
972 Words
"Yes, it's me."
Charlotte advanced toward Sofia. Step by step, she backed her against the railing where the dark sea churned ominously below.
Sofia had never seen Charlotte like that before. Her piercing, fox-like gaze fixed on her as if she were a prey. She seemed to be ready to pounce at any moment.
Sofia's knees weakened. "Hey... stay back. What do you want?"
"Nothing. Just to tell you that I'm taking your money, and it's going to a children's charity. Consider it your way of making amends to my baby."
As Charlotte leaned in, Sofia, mistaking the gesture for an attempt to push her into the sea, fell onto the deck in terror.
Charlotte laughed softly, rested her hand on the railing, and looked down at Sofia. "And just so you know... this is only the beginning."
Her gaze hardened as she spoke each word with intent, "I'm going to take down the entire Williams family!"
Sofia stumbled. She hurried off the deck in panic.
*****
Inside the hall, the dinner party was nearing its end. A soft melody of a violin floated through the air.
In the center of a crowd of men, Charlie stood next to Thomas, her presence even overshadowing the usually imposing Thomas.
She spoke effortlessly, her poised and confident demeanor captivating everyone around her.
She seemed to thrive in such settings.
Elijah furrowed his brows slightly, mulling over how Charlie had propelled an emerging brand to industry prominence in just two years, and how she seemed to know insight information about corporations in the industry.
Who exactly was she?
Elsewhere, Sofia approached Thomas with her daughter Karen Garcia.
Sofia turned to Thomas with a practiced smile. "This is my daughter, Karen."
"Hello."
Thomas extended his hand to Karen, and they exchanged a brief handshake.
Karen had heard a lot about Thomas. Seeing him in person, she found him even more handsome than in the media.
Tall and striking, his demeanor was commanding when serious, but his polite smile was disarmingly charming.
Karen felt her heart skip a beat. "May I have this dance with you?"
Thomas smiled. "Of course."
Karen looked down. Her face flushed slightly, her pinkened ears somewhat visible through her cascading hair.
Charlotte caught the subtle exchange from a distance.
It seemed that Karen was smitten with Thomas!
"My grandfather's 80th birthday is coming, and we'd love for you to come," Thomas said.
His invitation visibly delighted Sofia.
That could mean plenty of opportunities for Karen and Thomas to spend some alone time together. If Karen could marry into the Robinson family, she and Sofia could finally secure their place in the high society. They'd no longer need to worry about Elijah.
Sofia smiled broadly, almost obsequiously. "Absolutely, we'll be there with a special gift to celebrate with him."
Thomas shook his head with a warm smile. "Just your presence will be more than enough. My grandfather loves a lively party."
A woman's voice suddenly broke the silence, causing Sofia to instinctively glance toward a masked woman standing behind Thomas.
If she hadn't seen Charlotte in person, Sofia would never have linked the flamboyantly dressed Charlie with Charlotte.
But Sofia believed that even if Charlotte had changed her look, she was still a washed-up woman.
Sofia had even considered confronting Charlotte right there, but considering her apparent closeness with Thomas, making a scene might risk offending the Robinson family.
Besides, if Charlotte was bold enough to confront her so openly, she might be planning something else. It wouldn't be wise to lose her cool now.
Sofia's eyes shifted as she started plotting her next move.
Once the crowd had thinned, Thomas sat down next to Charlotte and spoke softly, "Elijah has been watching you."
Unfazed, Charlotte responded, "I know."
She had felt Elijah's stare since sitting down at the bar.
Elijah was like a predator hidden in the shadows. Even when watched from a distance, his mere presence was enough to put anyone on edge.
Charlotte sat up straighter and raised her glass. "If he enjoys watching, let him. I don't care."
"He's interested in Glimmer Gems. You'll probably have to deal with him more in the future."
Thomas' expression darkened slightly. "Why don't you just announce that Glimmer Gems is part of the Robinson family enterprise? It might keep others from getting too curious."
Charlotte chuckled lightly. "Relax. I know what you're worried about. When I asked you to take me home that day, I was ready to completely sever ties with Elijah."
"Really?"
"From the moment he refused to fight for our child, he was dead to me. I'm not going to let any man hurt me like that again."
Charlotte spoke with conviction, raising her hand as if taking an oath. "I'm capable and I can run my own business. I don't need to depend on anyone."
Thomas looked at her determined face, his heart aching slightly.
He knew damn well the hell she had been through the past three years.
To forget her past with the Garcia family, she had thrown herself into other pursuits.
Jewelry, design, voice acting, marketing...
Rebooting her career wasn't easy. She had to learn new technologies and trends and work twice as hard to outpace her competitors.
While Charlotte's business had flourished, her love life remained uneventful.
Watching her effortlessly manage Elijah without any slip-ups, Thomas finally felt a bit of relief.
He reached out and affectionately tousled Charlotte's hair.
Meanwhile, Elijah, observing their close interaction, felt a twinge of irritation, as if something was blocking his throat. He decided to divert his gaze and stood up to leave.
"Where are you going?" Daniel asked.
"Back to my room."
His voice was deep and carried a hint of menace.
Daniel was puzzled. Everything seemed fine just a moment ago, so why the sudden anger?
- Writer
