Semua Bab Claimed by the Cold CEO: Bab 11 - Bab 19

Weekends had a way of moving by really fast. For Charlotte, they didn’t bring rest so much as they brought reminders.The hospital sat at the edge of the city, tall and pale, its walls permanently smelling of antiseptic and waiting. Charlotte had memorized the route there long ago. Every turn, every traffic light, every crack in the pavement outside the gate felt familiar in a way she wished it didn’t. She signed in at the front desk, her movements automatic, her expression carefully neutral. It was easier that way.Her mother’s room was the same as always; curtains drawn halfway, machines humming softly, the faint beep of a monitor keeping time like a restrained heartbeat. Mrs. George lay propped against white pillows, thinner than she used to be, her once-strong hands resting limply on the blanket. She looked asleep, but Charlotte knew better. Her mother was always hovering in that in-between state now, half-awake, half-fading.Charlotte set her bag down quietly and crossed the room

Charlotte stood in the middle of her room, phone in one hand, towel draped loosely over her shoulders, and a growing sense of dread settling in her chest. Her bed was already littered with discarded options; dresses she’d worn once and hated, dresses she loved but suddenly felt too loud, too soft, too much. Her mirror reflected the chaos back at her with brutal honesty. This wasn’t just a dinner. It was a work dinner. With clients. And with Nathan. The thought alone made her stomach twist in a way she didn’t quite want to examine too closely.She flicked through Pinterest with frantically, typing things like formal work dinner outfit, classy corporate dinner look, what to wear to impress clients without trying too hard. Every image seemed to mock her. The women looked effortless, polished, like they had their lives neatly folded away somewhere. Charlotte checked the time for what felt like the hundredth time. 7:21 p.m. She still had time, but it didn’t feel like it. It never did when

Charlotte woke up to the sound of her alarm and the strange awareness that today mattered.It took a few seconds for the feeling to fully settle, hovering somewhere between anticipation and dread. Then it clicked.Her birthday.She lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, letting the realization wash over her without ceremony. No excitement burst through her chest. No immediate smile tugged at her lips. Just a quiet acknowledgment, like checking a box in her mind.Another year.Her phone buzzed beside her almost on cue.Jaina: Happy birthday, star girl I hate that I’m not there. I’ll make it up to you, promise.Charlotte smiled softly, thumbs hovering before she typed back.Charlotte: Thank you. I miss you already. Go be amazing for both of us.She set the phone down and finally pushed herself out of bed. The morning routine felt slower than usual, deliberate. She showered, dressed, moved through her small space with an odd sense of distance, like she was watching herself from

Monday arrived like a warning bell Charlotte didn’t remember setting.The weekend’s lightness lingered in fragments; grocery bags still unpacked on her kitchen counter, the faint memory of laughing in Nathan’s presence replaying at inconvenient moments. It made getting dressed feel oddly heavier, like she was walking into a room where something had already changed without her permission.She chose something simple. Neutral. Professional. Invisible.By the time she reached the office building, the atmosphere felt… off.Not chaotic nor loud,Just…tight. Like people were speaking softer than usual and typing faster than normal.The receptionist barely looked up when she walked past.Charlotte frowned but said nothing as she headed toward her office.She froze when she noticed Nathan’s door already open.He was rarely early. And when he was, it usually meant trouble.She slipped into her own office, trying to settle into routine of laptop on, emails loading, coffee brewing; but the quiet f