"Roger helped Interpol crack a murder case. Not bad, right?"
"Kenneth..."
The moment Lottie mentioned his name, Kenneth stuck his chin out, ready for some well-deserved praise.
"Kenneth looks like he's put on a little weight lately. Guess a good appetite really is a blessing."
As soon as Charlotte said that, the whole living room burst out in low laughter.
Kenneth just sat there, stunned.
Where was the trash can? He was ready to toss Charlotte out with it.
***
By ten that night, Samantha and her family were at the door, seeing Charlotte and Anthony off.
"Lottie has class tomorrow, and it's pretty far from here, so we won't keep you longer."
Charlotte snuggled closer to Anthony and spoke softly, "Samantha, could you send me a few family photos?"
"Family photos?" Samantha paused, then caught on. "Oh, that old photo is missing people. When you’re free, let’s take a new one. All of us together."
"Mhm, let’s wait a bit," Charlotte nodded, her voice gentle. "When everyone’s here."
When everyone’s here? It was just her missing now. Who else could she mean?
"I should get going."
Before Samantha could say anything else, Charlotte had already slipped into the passenger seat and waved goodbye.
Samantha watched the sports car disappear down the road, completely lost in thought.
What did Lottie mean by that?
Before she could figure it out, Kenneth shrieked beside her.
On his phone, there was a file. Five sheets of music, all signed: Echo.
Timestamp: just half an hour ago.
So Lottie had written five pieces of music in thirty minutes, and each one could shake the whole music industry?
Suddenly, he was starting to agree with what his dad always said.
His brain really couldn’t keep up with Lottie’s.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns