LOGINCharlotte’s POVThe smell of freshly brewed coffee reached me before I even opened my eyes.For a few seconds, I forgot where I was, then I saw the unfamiliar ceiling, the faded wallpaper, and the tiny window that barely allowed the morning light into the cramped bedroom.This is the safehouse… Everything came rushing back almost instantly.The divorce… Alexander… The escape and the humiliation.I slowly pushed myself upright just as my mother placed a steaming mug on the bedside table.“Good morning,” she said softly.I forced out a weak smile. “I don’t think there’s anything good about this morning.”She sighed before sitting on the edge of the bed. “I knew you’d say that.”I reached for the mug, wrapping both hands around it. The warmth seeped into my cold fingers.“What kind of coffee is this?” I asked after taking a sip.My mother smiled faintly. “The cheap kind.”I almost laughed. “It tastes different.”“It is different.” She nods in agreement.“It isn’t bad.” I said after a wh
Charlotte’s POVI shouldn’t have agreed to this. The thought had been tormenting me ever since we left Seattle.I sat in the back seat of Terry’s SUV, staring blankly through the window as the city lights slowly disappeared behind us. The farther we drove, the heavier my heart became.Beside me, my mother gently squeezed my hand. “It’s going to be alright, sweetheart.”I didn’t answer. How could it possibly be alright? I had just signed away my marriage.My home was behind me! My life was behind me! Everything I had spent years building seemed to be slipping further away with every mile the car covered.Dad sat in the front passenger seat while Terry drove with both hands firmly on the steering wheel, his eyes constantly shifting between the road ahead and the rearview mirror.I finally broke the silence. “I shouldn’t have done it.”No one replied immediately as I swallowed hard then continued. “I shouldn’t have signed those papers.”Terry sighed. “Charlotte…”I shook my head before h
Alexander’s POVI stared at my phone long after the call ended. The screen had already gone dark, but my grip around it only tightened.Charlotte had hung up on me! She had refused to meet me!!A humorless laugh escaped my lips. “So that’s it… She wanted to drag this out… she wanted lawyers, investigators, negotiations and endless arguments!”I didn’t want any of that stress. I wanted everything over with the divorce and everything.I rubbed both hands over my face before leaning back in my home office chair.Why couldn’t she just sign everything and disappear? Why was she making this harder than it already was?A sharp vibration interrupted my thoughts and I looked down at a single message.‘Has it been done?’ My jaw clenched in anger.They never stopped watching, they never stopped asking and they never stopped demanding.It was as if every second of my life belonged to them now.I slowly typed a response but stopped halfway. ‘No.’But texting wasn’t enough because Charlotte wasn’t
Charlotte’s POVI pulled the hood of my sweatshirt lower over my face before stepping out of the car.The parking lot outside the police station was quiet despite the late evening rush inside the building. Officers walked in and out carrying files while patrol vehicles came and went, their flashing lights briefly painting the walls blue and red.I drew in a slow breath. This wasn’t how I imagined I would ever return to society. Hiding and watching over my shoulder, afraid of being recognized.I adjusted the sunglasses on my face despite the fading daylight and walked inside.The receptionist barely glanced at me before I quietly said, “I’m here to see Terry Benson.”She looked down at her computer. “Name?”I hesitated for a split second. “…Charlotte.”The woman’s eyes widened ever so slightly before she quickly recovered. “I’ll let him know.”A few minutes later, Terry appeared from the hallway, he looked exhausted. Dark circles sat beneath his eyes, but the moment he saw me, surprise
Charlotte’s POVI paced from one end of the living room to the other, my phone clenched so tightly in my hand that my fingers hurt.The ringing stopped yet again and there’s no answer. I immediately dialed another number and still got same response.Another executive, another rejection and another unanswered call.A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I lowered the phone. “They’re all avoiding me,” I murmured.My father stood from his seat with a furious expression. “This is absolute madness!” he thundered. “What kind of company operates like this? They can’t just remove a founder without due process.”“I know.” I rubbed my forehead, trying to steady my breathing.“The company’s policies are very clear. Any executive being removed from office must receive prior notification, a formal hearing, and documented reasons for impeachment.”I looked down at the email on my screen again, there was never a warning…. Never a set up meeting and there was also no detailed explanation.It was just a co
Charlotte’s POVI sat in silence, my hands clasped tightly together as I stared at the carpet beneath my feet. The lawyer’s words continued to echo in my mind.They’re offering you nothing. Not a single cent and not a single property. Not even the businesses we had spent years building together.The living room had become unusually quiet. My father had stopped pacing, my mother had stopped trying to comfort me, and even our lawyer seemed content to let me gather my thoughts.I couldn’t understand it. No… I wouldn’t understand it.What game was Alexander playing? Divorcing me wasn’t enough? Now he wants to strip me of everything too? Why?I replayed every conversation we’d had since I’d returned home.His cold eyes… his harsh voice…. And the way he had looked at me as though I were a complete stranger.That wasn’t the Alexander I knew or perhaps… It was, and I’d simply refused to see him for who he truly was.Still… Something didn’t add up.Even if he hated me… Even if he genuinely be
Charlotte’s POVI pushed his hand away again, forcing a tight smile as I kept my eyes forward.“Alexander,” I whispered, my voice low but firm, “we’re not alone.”“I can see that,” he murmured, completely unfazed.His fingers slipped right back to my waist like I hadn’t just warned him, like we wer
Charlotte’s POVI sat quietly on the couch, my hands clasped together in my lap, while Alexander and his mother argued across the living room.The tension between them felt unbearable.“I should never have told you anything,” Alexander said sharply.His voice carried an edge I rarely heard when he
Alexander’s POVThe day before…When I woke up that morning, the first thing I noticed was the stiffness in my neck.I blinked slowly and stared up at the ceiling of the living room. For a moment I wondered why I was there instead of in my bed. Then the memory returned. I had fallen asleep on the c
Charlotte’s POVThe tension in the living room was thick enough to suffocate me.Mrs. Voss stood across from me with her perfectly straight posture and cold, assessing eyes. She had always carried herself like a queen walking through a court that existed only to serve her. Even now, standing in my







