Chapter 17: Was what you said earlier true?

Before a smirk could fully bloom on the manager's lips, Liam finally broke the silence, beckoning with a casual, "Come here." Come here!?? The manager's face got all scrunched up like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Unfazed by the spectacle of the manager's unraveling, Charlotte's voice remained steady, "I'm cardless and can't breach the door's defenses." Then she quickly added, "Are you here to pick me up?" "Me, pick you up?? In what fantasy?" scoffed Liam with a snort. This unexpected twist momentarily steadied the manager's breath, but Liam's next words plunged her back into turmoil. "I'll send Henry to pick me up." And who was Henry? Not just any assistant – he was the kingpin, second only to Liam himself! The manager was lost in a fog of confusion. It wasn't until Charlotte cut the call that the manager, with a grotesque attempt at a smile, managed to say, "Little Perry, I... I'll take you in myself. No need to trouble Henry, right?" Charlotte glanced at her, delivering her words coolly, "Spare yourself the effort, manager. I flirted with Liam for a reason – to have Henry at my beck and call." Even as Charlotte and Henry disappeared inside, the manager stood frozen, her spirit in another realm. It took her an eternity to choke out, "But Miss Beaumont, Mr. Parker's fiancée, is also here, isn't she? How could Charlotte dare...?" ———— "Liam, after all those decades of affection, why refuse our engagement now? Just the other day, you were so kind to me!" In the 24th-floor executive office, Chloe's tearful plea went unheard as Liam casually flipped through a financial report. "I apologize for questioning your relationship with Charlotte, Liam. I know it annoyed you. Can you forgive me?" She was begging now. "I truly do care for you, Liam. Breaking off our engagement wasn't my choice. I fought against it, but my father threatened to disown me! You understand duty, don't you? You wouldn't want to see me severed from my family, right?" "What will it take for you to agree to an engagement with me?" Liam glanced up, his patience wearing thin, just as he noticed a shadow flickering at the door. Pressing his lips together, he said to Chloe, "Tell you what, if the next person who walks through that door agrees to our engagement, then we'll be engaged." Chloe, stunned for a moment, resumed her sobbing. "But everyone at Parker Group is loyal to you. They'll just say what you want. It's not fair, Liam." Clearly, he was setting her up for embarrassment. But Liam's word was law, and all Chloe could do was pray that the next person through the door would be... Her eyes widened in shock – it was Charlotte! To Chloe's delight, she had forgotten that according to the plan, Charlotte should have been banished to a pig farm by Robert, far from this place. All Chloe remembered was her cunning from the day before, which surely left Charlotte indebted to her. It was a done deal – her marriage to Liam was set! Before Liam could speak, Chloe eagerly asked, "Charlotte, tell me, should I marry Mr. Parker?" Charlotte tilted her head, pondering the question as if deciphering a riddle. Chloe quickly prompted, "Just say yes, and Liam will marry me. My happiness depends on just a few words from you. You wouldn't want me to be miserable, would you?" Chloe looked at her expectantly, already envisioning her future bliss with Liam, their children, and her throne in the Parker dynasty... "I disagree," Charlotte declared, gifting Chloe with a smile. "I do not consent to your engagement." "What?" Chloe was aghast. "But why not?" Charlotte was supposed to be grateful, supposed to want her 'little sister' to be happy! Without a word, Charlotte glided to Liam's side and, under his indifferent gaze, linked her arm with his. "Because," Charlotte looked into his eyes, "if Mr. Parker is engaged to you, then who will cherish and love me?" Liam's lips curled slightly. Upon reflection, he could only deduce that by denying Chloe's engagement, Charlotte had won her desired outcome. Liam turned his face away dismissively, his patience wearing thin. "Go on, Chloe, get out. Stop making a scene and show some class," he said with a tone that brooked no argument. He then addressed Charlotte without even looking her way, "Retrieve your employee badge, will you? How long do I have to send Henry to fetch you like some princess in a tower?" It was his roundabout way of telling her that her job was still hers if she wanted it. "Understood, thank you, Mr. Parker." As the two women left his office, closing the door behind them, Chloe pounced on Charlotte like a wolf on the hunt, grabbing her collar in a rage. "What's your game, Charlotte? Playing me? After I risked everything to save you!" "Saved me?" Charlotte's laugh was laced with scorn. "Miss Beaumont, you haven't been chatting with Robert since, have you?" The mere mention of Robert's name was enough to petrify Chloe. Straightening her wrinkled collar, Charlotte leaned in close and whispered, "Every nasty thing you did to Annie, I'll return to you a thousandfold." Chloe's body tensed even more, if possible. "You know... Do you know everything? How? What exactly do you know?!" Chloe's voice was a mix of fear and disbelief. Charlotte offered no answer, only a penetrating gaze that chilled Chloe to the bone before turning on her heel and walking away. She had plans for Chloe, and they were far from kind. ———— Upon retrieving her badge, Charlotte was surprised to learn that her resignation had never been processed. "You're under Mr. Parker's jurisdiction," HR clarified. "Without his approval, we can't do anything." Charlotte paused, a realization dawning on her. "He never brought it up?" "Not once." "Alright, thank you." Badge in hand, Charlotte returned to the executive office only to realize that she had entered without knocking. It was an oversight that Liam, who valued boundaries, did not take kindly to. Yet, somehow, she couldn't help but feel that he had always treated her with a touch of leniency. Before she could steady herself at his desk, Liam's voice cut through from behind a mountain of financial reports, "What happened to knock? Did you leave your manners on the bus?" “……” Charlotte bit her lip. She had been mistaken; there was no special treatment from Liam. Without receiving her response, Liam looked up from his work, "Where's Chloe?" "Gone," Charlotte replied, then pressed, "Was what you said earlier true? That without my agreement, there will be no engagement?" Liam paused, his hand resting on his temple, then casually remarked, "What about you? Were your words true?" Was her opposition to his engagement with Chloe genuine, or was she simply in need of money again, which is why she chose to return to his side? He pulled a bank card from his drawer and tossed it in her direction, "Take this."