Chapter 52: Who might I be?

"No, no!" Malcolm quivered like a leaf caught in a tempest, his exhilaration betraying his novice status in such treacherous games. "Charlotte, Chloe has set her sights on scarring your beauty, but I'll spare you the ordeal. Just plead my case to Liam, and I'll set you free as a bird." His voice was a mix of desperation and hope. With that, he thrust his phone into Charlotte's hands, demanding she call Liam with an urgency that brooked no refusal. Charlotte furrowed her brow, deep in thought. "Do you truly believe Liam will heed my plea?" "He will, he must!" Malcolm's certainty bordered on fanaticism. "But when I was falsely accused of stealing the ancestral jade pendant just now, Liam watched from the balcony above, unmoved, his inaction speaking volumes." Charlotte recounted the events with tranquility, though inside, the injustice seared her. She had caught a glimpse of Liam and Chloe on the balcony, spectators to her plight, their indifference as sharp as daggers. Malcolm,