“Yeah.” The three patriarchs nodded in unison.
A few seconds passed in awkward silence before one of them finally blurted out, “Nine, is God okay?”
Charlotte’s lips curled into a mysterious smile. Her eyes lingered on them, a little too knowing. “Thanks to you,” she replied slowly, “he’s still breathing.”
The three patriarchs froze, completely at a loss.
“I should get going. Got stuff to handle,” one of them said, pretending not to know anything as he tapped his own head.
“Same here,” the other two chimed in, forcing out nervous laughs as they shuffled after him. None of them wanted to stick around and risk getting roped into a discussion about Nine’s “birthday surprise.”
Charlotte watched them hurry out like they were running from a fire, then turned and headed back to the bedroom.
Anthony was already up, sitting on the edge of the bed with his phone in hand, sounding like he was wrapping up a call.
“That’s all,” he said. The moment he saw her walk in, he ended the call and set his phone aside. His eyes followed her, his voice gentle. “All done?”
“Yeah,” Charlotte answered.
She crossed the room, set a bowl on the table, and picked up a slice of orange. She held it up to his lips without a word.
Anthony accepted the orange, then slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her down so she landed safely on his lap.
“Don’t you want to take a break?” he murmured.
Charlotte studied his face, a soft laugh slipping out. “Aren’t you tired after putting on that whole performance?”
Anthony let out a quiet sigh, somewhere between annoyed and amused. He rested his chin lightly on her shoulder. “Are we heading back today?”
“Yeah.” Charlotte played with the buttons on his shirt, her voice light. “Stella made me a cake, Shirley has a present for me, and Andrew said…”
It was almost too much to process.
In the car, Anthony sat on the left, Charlotte on the right. She settled comfortably against him, scrolling through the news on her phone.
Lydia expelled from the International Medical Alliance for cheating. Found guilty of intentional homicide, prosecution underway.
Investigation results: Letty confirmed to have cheated, scores voided, blacklisted. She was not involved in the homicide case.
Not involved…
Charlotte’s eyes flickered as she read those words, but her face stayed calm.
This would be the perfect time to deal with Stella’s situation too.
Once she got back to Cabinda, Letty was going to regret everything.

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