BuzzNovelRegret 33 Charlotte's eyes flickered with a hint of sorrow-so fleeting it might have gone unnoticed by anyone else. But Tricia caught it perfectly, and her lips curled into a satisfied, triumphant smile. She stepped forward, chin lifted. "So what if you restored the security footage?" she taunted. "Did you really think that even if Evander knew the truth, he'd stick his neck out for you-a mere plaything-just to make things difficult for me?" "Face reality, Charlotte. Don't overestimate yourself. Evander would never believe you." Convinced she'd won, Tricia was about to sweep out of the room when Charlotte's voice stopped her cold.
"I recorded everything you just said." Tricia froze, spinning around. Her gaze landed on the pen in Charlotte's hand.
In a flash, Tricia lunged and grabbed Charlotte's wrist. "You dared to record me?” she hissed.
Before Charlotte could answer, Tricia snatched the pen away and hurled it to the floor. It shattered instantly, pieces scattering across the polished hardwood.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtTricia let out a cold, dismissive laugh. "Charlotte, take my advice-don't waste your energy on these pathetic little schemes." Staring at the ruined recorder at her feet, Charlotte suddenly smiled. "You keep callingoverconfident, but if you really had nothing to hide, why would you be so afraid of a recording?" For a moment, Tricia was caught off guard. Charlotte crouched down, scooped up the broken pen, and held the empty barrel out as if to prove a point. "It's just a regular pen, Director Winthrop. What's with all the ?" "You're playing games with me!” Tricia spat, knocking Charlotte's hand aside. The pen barrel slipped from Charlotte's grasp, rolling under the corner of the desk.
"So what if I am?" Charlotte shot back, meeting her gaze head-on. "You framedfor stealing your bracelet, and you setup in the lounge last week. I haven't forgotten any of it." "You-" Tricia's retort died in her throat as a noise echoed from the hallway. Her face, twisted with anger a moment ago, now crumpled into an expression of wounded innocence. She staggered backward and collapsed to the floor, shoulders 1/3 shaking in feigned sobs.
"Dr. Sterling," she choked out, "I know you're still angry with me. It was wrong ofto accuse you I never should have gotten you suspended. This is all my fault. I...I don't deserve forgiveness." She grabbed a fruit knife from the table and pressed it to her wrist, dragging the blade across her skin. Charlotte lunged to stop her.
At that moment, the office door flew open.
Evander's eyes immediately zeroed in on Tricia, who now sat on the floor, blood streaming from her wrist and staining the sleeve of her white coat. He rushed forward, shoving Charlotte aside, then crouched to press his hands tightly over Tricia's wound.
"Tricia!" he called, alarm etched across his face.
Charlotte staggered from the force, her hip slamming into the corner of the desk. Pain flashed across her features, but Evander's world had narrowed to the woman bleeding in his arms.
Tricia leaned against him, her face drawn and pale. "Evander... It's all my fault. I nearly got Dr. Sterling hurt, and on top of that, she lost her job because of me." "None of this is your fault," Evander said sharply, his tone icy as he swept Tr. his arms and glanced back at Charlotte. His eyes were cold as steel.
into "If anything happens to her, neither you nor the Sterling family will get away with it." With Tricia cradled in his arms, he strode to the door, calling for help.
People who'd gathered in the hallway began to disperse, leaving Charlotte standing alone in the center of the office.
The silence pressed in on her, making it hard to breathe.
Evander's coldness-his suspicion-cut deeper than any wound.
& She unclenched her fist, noticing the crescent moon marks her fingernails had left in her palm. But the pain had faded; she barely felt it at all. Tricia's cut wasn't deep, and the bleeding stopped quickly after treatment.
08:41 Chapter 33 Evander returned to the hospital room, standing by the bedside. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm sorry, Evander. I lost control. I just... I didn't want Dr. Sterling to misunderstand me. Trigia's face was drained of color, her voice trembling. "I really do want to get along with her, I just don't want to make a bad impression or cause you any trouble."
Evander was silent for a long moment. "You don't need to worry about any of that."1 "Evander," she whispered, reaching out to embrace him.
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
