Charlotte’s pov“I don’t know anything about your family Charlotte. Charlotte, be serious,” he hissed, and I could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is a terrible idea. It’s too dangerous. He’ll find out. He’s the CEO, for Christ’s sake!”“He will be too distracted with all that’s happening,” I said. “And it’s only dangerous if we’re careless. We won’t be. This just makes everything easier. I’ll be on the inside. I can keep an eye on things. I can make sure our… inventory relocation… goes smoothly. I will be the eyes and ears of this operation.”“I’m doing fine on my own,” he said.“Oh come on. I just don’t like feeling left out of things like this. Is that such a crime? Help me out here. Please.”I let the ‘please’ hang there, a tiny hook baited with flattery and feigned vulnerability.He sighed and finally said something. “This is madness. It’s messy and a huge risk for me. Edward finds out I went behind his back to hire his fiancée… my head will be on the block, no
Charlotte’s povI sat at the dining table with Edward as we ate dinner silently.He’d been home for a while now and he hadn’t said a word to me. I sipped my wine and sighed as I couldn’t let it stay like this. I needed to say something.“So,” I began, my voice light, conversational. “How was your day? Anything… interesting happen at the office?”He didn’t even look up. “It was a day. It happened. Nothing to report.”I knew that was a lie. Bryan had already texted me about the board meeting ambush, about Edward’s little white knight routine. The image of him standing up for her, defending her honor, made my skin feel too tight. Yet I couldn’t let him know that I knew about that.“Alright,” I said. “I was hoping for some corporate gossip. It’s so quiet around here.”He just grunted in response, finally stabbing a piece of asparagus.I let another few minutes of painful quiet pass. I needed to pivot. To plant the seed.“All this quiet time has me thinking. I’m a little bored. Maybe… may
Charlotte’s povIt didn’t take long before I got into my car and drove to the Le Marché.I noticed how beautiful the place was. They didn’t just allow anyone in.I parked and got in as I saw him sitting by the window and eating his very soft cake.I slowly walked up to him and stopped at his table. He didn’t look up at first, just frowned at the interruption.“Mr. Carlson?” I said, my voice smooth as glass.He looked up but clearly didn’t recognize me. “Do I know you?”I gave him a thin, cool smile. “Charlotte. Edward’s fiancée.”At that moment, he lost it and sighed. “You can’t be serious. If you’re here to deliver some message from that lovesick puppy, you can save your breath and get lost. I’ve had just about enough of the Bassett family for one lifetime.”I didn’t flinch. I didn’t move. I just kept smiling that cold little smile. “On the contrary, I’m here to ask you something. I just need you to give me your honest answer.”“What question?”I slid in to sit before hun and put my
Sandra’s povThe kitchen’s heat hit me like a physical wall, a familiar blanket of sizzling fats, searing meat, and shouting. It usually felt like home, but it didn’t feel that way anymore. Now it felt like a crime scene, and I was in the middle of it. Gosh, I felt so stupid for allowing myself to be used by that bitch Charlotte. I looked across the large kitchen and saw her—Eloise. She looked… powerful and in control—everything I was about to undermine.‘Just get another major crime from Charlotte,’ I told myself, the words from my own internal point of view feeling foreign like it wasn’t me. ‘Then you give Edward everything. Then you’re the hero. Not the villain.’I moved through the organized chaos on autopilot, grabbing a tasting spoon, checking a sauce. My hands were shaking. Charlotte’s voice was a looped recording in my head. ’A little salt in the meals. It’s not exactly rocket science.’The meal was right there. In a metal pot, pale and perfect. Eloise’s signature dish. One d
Edward’s povI shook my head. “What about the other cameras?” I jerked out a last hope. “The one at the other end of that hall? The camera at the staff entrance? There’s no way they could’ve gotten all of them.”Dave shook his head as he nodded. “That’s what else is messed up. The camera at the end of that hall has been on repeat freeze for over a week, but we’re too short-staffed to do anything. Same with the one in here so I can see who wiped it out.”“Why didn’t you tell me about the cameras?” Now I was losing my mind.“I complained to the board but they said no one was stealing from a hotel.”Now I was about to lose it.“Convenient,” Eloise whispered. I turned to her. “Don’t beat yourself about this. The person who did this will be caught. Okay? We’ll find them.”Dave nodded in his seat like I was talking to him, looking like he wished he could disappear. “I’ll, uh… I’ll keep trying here a bit longer. Maybe see if there’s any additional worklogs, see if they might’ve overlooked a
Edward’s povShe sighed and looked away from me. “It’s just business, Edward. People get jealous. They want what you have. It’s not exactly an original concept.”Her calm was maddening. Couldn’t she see this wasn’t some stupid case of jealousy? “That’s not the point, Eloise. It was all ready to go. It’s so convenient how the board called a meeting right after your show and accused you of this madness. We should just go to security.” I took another few steps before stopping in front of her and grabbing her arm, hard enough for her to have no choice but to follow me. “Please,” I said quietly. “Please, Eloise, let’s just go back and see what happened after that part of you being in the kitchen ended. Outside the kitchen, there must be some footage. It will show us who entered there and caused that chaos.”Finally, she looked up at me, an expression in her eyes like anguish. It took a while before she nodded.“Okay,” she said flatly.I smiled and led the way as we walked out of the room