Chapter 15: She's Not My Sister

"Let go of my sister!" A sharp crack echoed as a stick struck Robert, forcing him to release his grip. He stumbled forward, fell, and lay motionless on the ground. In the wake of the attack, Charlotte spun around and saw Chloe, out of breath, clutching the makeshift weapon, her entire body shaking uncontrollably. "Miss Beaumont..." Chloe gave her a weak smile and said, "Sister, are you okay?" Realizing she had just hit someone, Chloe instantly dropped the stick she was holding, and her tears started falling like a broken string. "I hit someone... I actually hit someone..." she murmured, collapsing weakly at Charlotte's feet. "Don't be afraid, sister... I'll protect you, I promise..." Anyone who saw it would think it was a beautiful scene of sisters saving each other. But Charlotte had no time for comfort—Robert was already staggering to his feet. As if by a cruel twist of fate, the discarded stick rolled right to him. He picked it up, his eyes burning with rage as he advanced towards them. "Sister!" Chloe clung to Charlotte's calf in terror. Charlotte stroked her hair, her voice soft and reassuring, "It's okay, you run along, I'll handle him." "But sister..." "Go!" With a gentle push, Charlotte urged Chloe to flee. As soon as Chloe turned away, a sly smile of triumph spread across her face. Having played her part, she was certain Charlotte felt both grateful and guilty. With Robert coming at them again, it was obvious Charlotte would insist she leave first. This would leave Charlotte vulnerable to being taken to the pig farm as planned. What a perfect scheme! Not only would it ruin Charlotte's life, but it would also bind her to a debt of gratitude for Chloe's feigned heroism. Chloe chuckled to herself; the plan was flawless. Once Chloe was gone, Robert approached his gaze, not that of a father looking at his daughter, but a predator eyeing his prey. "My precious girl, just come quietly with Daddy, and I might spare you some pain. Otherwise, I'll have to break your legs so you won't run away and cause trouble with Griffin!" "Robert." Charlotte's face was expressionless. "In all the years since I've grown up, you've only managed to use me successfully once." That one time was when he sent her to Liam's bed. Robert faltered, remembering that Charlotte had become difficult to control and had learned Muay Thai, making it impossible for him to overpower her physically. "Seems like you understand," Charlotte said, a hint of mockery in her smile. She stepped forward, deftly snatched the stick from his grasp, and, with a swift motion, struck him across the chest. Robert fell to the ground with a howl of pain. "How dare you hit me? Do you know who sent me here? You've tangled with the wrong person..." Charlotte knew it was Chloe. With a sigh, Charlotte lowered her eyes, pitying Robert's ignorance. Chloe was no more than this. The stick descended once more. Robert's eyes widened in shock; Chloe had assured him that Charlotte saw her as a sister and would never suspect her, that she would be obedient... Overcome with pain and confusion, Robert lost consciousness. Charlotte glanced at him one last time before she left the alley and got into a black car waiting nearby. "You look like you've been dumpster diving," the man in the car complained, covering his nose and tossing her a pack of wet wipes, "Clean up!" Charlotte meticulously wiped her hands clean before finally looking at the man beside her. "Mr. Parker, I appreciate you coming with me on this unpleasant errand." Liam glared at her. "If you knew it was going to be this much trouble, you should've handled it yourself." "That wasn't an option. You said once I stepped out the door, I'd be cut off from you forever. I was worried you'd hold it against me later, so it seemed best to stick together on this one." The silence in the car was a brief interlude, giving Liam a moment to reflect on Charlotte's words just before they had set out. "Charlotte," he said, turning to her, his eyes catching the night's glow, "Why the sudden change of heart? You're no longer pushing me to pursue things with Chloe?" "Because you mentioned there'd be no engagement." She replied, her voice even, yet a careful listener could detect the quiver in it. "I can't stand to lose you," she confessed. A hush fell over them once more. Liam didn't press further; instead, he turned to gaze out the window, the corners of his mouth curling into a subtle smile. Unfortunately, Charlotte was also looking out the window, missing the sight of his expression. She had two reasons for breaking things off with Liam. Firstly, his impending engagement – she didn't want to be the one to shatter someone else's happiness. Secondly, because Chloe harbored feelings for Liam, Charlotte didn't want to take away the man her 'sister' loved. But now, with Liam refusing to be engaged and Chloe... Chloe wasn't truly her sister after all. Thinking of Chloe, there was a fleeting shadow in Charlotte's eyes. She had asked Chloe if she remembered the teddy bear she had supposedly bought her, and Chloe had claimed she did. But there was never any teddy bear. With Robert's favoritism towards sons and their family's dire straits, she could barely scrape together a few coins for Annie's sweets, let alone a toy. The teddy bear was a fabrication, yet Chloe insisted it was real. So she realized Chloe was faking it, trying to use the 'little sister' role to achieve some goal. So when Liam asked again if they were to cut ties completely, Charlotte didn't agree. Instead, she brought him along to this meeting. Sure enough, Chloe, thinking she had already convinced Liam and that Charlotte was of no use anymore, had set a trap for her. Poor, foolish Chloe didn't consider how Robert could possibly break free from Griffin's grip to appear here all by himself. There had to be someone behind it. The moment Robert showed up, he unwittingly exposed all their flaws. ———— The next morning, after getting ready for the day, Charlotte recalled she had resigned. There was no need for the nine-to-five routine, at least for now. She paused, then lazily went to prepare breakfast. Liam was in a rush, quickly eating his meal while remarking she shouldn't have made the soymilk so sweet. "I don't like sweets; you should remember that," he chided. Charlotte tasted it herself – it wasn't overly sweet. "I remember your preferences well enough, Mr. Parker, but you're known to change them frequently." "My preferences have never changed," Liam said with a deep look, finishing the soymilk in one gulp. "Don't make it this sweet next time." Leaving no room for Charlotte to retort, he grabbed his coat and left. Charlotte stood there, frozen for a moment. Next time? His ambiguous words almost seemed to suggest... as if they would be together for a long time. Shaking her head, Charlotte followed suit and stepped out the door. If all went well, her and Chloe's paternity test results could be available today. Even though she already knew Chloe couldn't be her sister, the evidence was still crucial. Upon arriving at the testing facility, she ran into Vincent. "Just the person I was looking for," Vincent said, stepping aside like a gentleman. "Could we discuss something in my office if it's convenient for you?" Charlotte was puzzled. "You work here?" Vincent smiled sheepishly. "This institution is owned by the Blackwood family. I don't work here. I just come by to check in now and then." Charlotte nodded, understanding. Before getting down to business, Vincent had the staff bring Charlotte the paternity report between her and Chloe, ensuring his own integrity: "The entire process was recorded. I had no involvement whatsoever, so you can trust the results." "I trust you, Mr. Blackwood." Charlotte casually glanced over the report, confirming the lack of a biological relationship.