Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Clara ate quietly, just a few bites, planning to crawl back into bed and rest. But before she could, Charles pulled the covers away.

"Don't just lie down after eating. Get up, put your shoes on. In three days, I'm taking you to meet some people."

"Who are we meeting?" she asked, sliding off the bed and obediently reaching for her shoes. Her hands were still sore, making her movements awkward and slow.

Charles waited, watching her fumble for a bit before crouching down to help. He slipped her shoes on gently. "Just a few outsiders. When the time comes, remember to put in a good word for your big brother, okay?"

"Of course," she replied without hesitation.

Charles paused for a second, his hand lingering on her shoe. That feeling-he couldn't really put it into words, but it was kind of wonderful.

He straightened up and headed downstairs. Just then, his older brother called from overseas.

"Hey, big brother, guess what? I've only been in Country Z for a few days and now I have a little sister."

He thought about handing the phone to Clara, but his brother didn't seem interested. He just got straight to the point. "Did you finish your task?"

Charles's cheerful mood faded. "Yeah. Richard agreed to move the goods."

"Good."

There was a short pause before his brother continued, "I transferred you some money. Don't worry about what happened last time. You're family to me, Charles -like my own brother."

Oh, last time. Charles remembered now. That annoying woman had called him nothing but the Chester family's lapdog.

So what if he was? The eldest and second brothers were doing great, living their best lives. Why couldn't he?

Honestly, Charles wasn't always the quickest thinker.

"I'm fine, big brother. Actually, I want to stick around here a bit longer. Did you hear? Dylan got married."

"Married?" His brother sounded surprised.

"Yeah. He called me himself. His wife's missing, and he wants my two best guys to help look for her. But you know how it is-those two are like my lifeline. I can't just let anyone borrow them."

On the other end, his brother sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew Charles was attached to those two, but it was still a little funny how often he brought them up.

"Charles."

"Big brother, can I not go back to the Chester family for now? I'm happy here. I even have a little sister now. Maybe someday, if there's a chance, I'll bring her to the family estate."

Then he remembered that woman's

words again about how he was just

a dog of the Chester family, how

even visiting required layers of approval. He quickly changed his mind. "Actually, never mind. She doesn't have to come to the estate. She can just hang out here on my turf. There's plenty of room to have fun."

Charles was ridiculously good-looking, but a bad fever as a kid left him a little childish. It was only because Mitch from the

Chester family had taught hinet

a few

tricks that he figured out how to deal with people. sŵnovel

Honestly, those tricks just boiled down to two things: don't talk too much, and keep a straight face. With looks like his, he didn't need much else.

His brother was quiet for a while, probably thinking about that incident. Charles wasn't the most mature, but he was far from clueless.

"Stay as long as you want. Just be careful, and if anything happens, let me know. If you need to, use the Chester name. Mitch is worried about you, too."

"Got it."

When the call ended, Charles looked a little deflated. But as soon as Clara's voice called out, any trace of gloom disappeared.

She walked over, eyes wide with excitement. "Wow, is our house really this big?"

For the first time, Charles realized there was something nice about living in a huge place.

He'd never really thought much about money-never even bothered counting how many zeroes were in his bank account. Mitch always sent a ton, and that was enough.

But now, hearing Clara praise the house, he couldn't help but stand a little taller, chest swelling with pride.noveldrama