Charlotte Lane came out of the restroom, and Kevin Clark was standing by the window, smiling at her.
âFighting battles again?â Kevin asked gently.
âEavesdropping?â Charlotte stared at him.
âLittle girl, thatâs the womenâs restroom.â Kevin touched her face, âIs this how you see me in your mind? I saw that girl crying as she left.â
âCrying?â Charlotte asked, âSo fragile.â
âPerhaps losing the contest was the main reason for her tears,â Kevin analyzed.
âWell, she had it coming,â Charlotte said.
Kevin laughed, and the two returned to the practice room together.
Charlotte and her team stayed until the banquet ended and chatted with Charles Flores for a while before leaving.
Charles Flores walked them to the entrance of the Court Music Academy, chatting with Charlotte the whole time.
Right after Charlotte got in the car, Charles Flores continued chatting with her through the window.
As Kevin was about to get into the car from the other side, Caroline Quinn suddenly came out of the Royal Court Music Academy and called out to him: âArthur, wait a moment.â
Kevin turned to look at her, and Charlotte looked at her as well.
Caroline smiled at Kevin and then turned to Charlotte, apologizing, âMrs. Clark, Iâm sorry for causing you trouble today. I really heard that you play the pipa very well, so I wanted to challenge you. I didnât expect to cause you any trouble.â
Charlotte sat in the car and looked at her, âIndeed, I do play the pipa very well, donât I?â
Kevin slightly furrowed his brows; the more he thought about her words, the more awkward they seemed, as if she were teasing Caroline.
Especially Carolineâs smile, it made one feel uncomfortable: âItâs really good, very good.â
Charlotte didnât show any particular expression, just continued looking at Caroline: âIt was Celeste Martin who told you, wasnât it?â
Caroline didnât mention Celeste, as she didnât like talking about others. She also wanted to handle the matters between her and Celeste herself. However, since Charlotte brought it up, she admitted it: âYes.â
Charlotte said, âItâs because I have some private grievances with her that you were dragged into it.â
Caroline didnât expect her to say that, so she gently shook her head.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
â¦
After they returned to Clark Manor, Charlotte remotely handled some matters at the Hundred Demons Pavilion via phone calls with Luke.
Kevin went to take a shower first, but after his shower, he received a phone call and then told Charlotte he was going to the study room.
By the time he came back to the bedroom, Charlotte had finished her phone calls and taken a shower.
She was wearing a silk nightgown, her hair half-dried and not blown yet, she was spacing out while standing in front of the French window.
Harton went to fetch a hairdryer, then kissed her shoulder through her nightgown and asked, âWhat are you thinking about so deeply?â
Charlotteâs eyelashes trembled, and she withdrew her gaze from outside. She drove the thoughts about Logan and what he had told her out of her mind and looked at Harton: âThinking aboutâ¦Arthur.â
âWhat?â Harton paused when he heard the name.
Charlotte really enjoyed seeing the ever-calm Third Master Clark show surprise on his face in front of her.
She raised her eyebrows slightly and imitated Carolineâs tone: âArthur, itâs been a long time.â
Hartonâs expression fell a bit.
Then Charlotte imitated another line: âArthur, wait a moment.â
Harton looked at her as the laughter in her eyes deepened. After a moment, he leaned down and bit her lip: âYouâre teasing me again.â
âCanât you tell Iâm jealous?â Charlotte asked.
âI couldnât tell,â Harton said seriously, âbut it seems like youâre trying to annoy me.â
Charlotte clicked her tongue lightly: âI havenât acted for a long time; my acting skills have deteriorated.â
âThatâs too much,â Harton said, âNow, even expressing jealousy requires acting.â
Charlotte laughed.
Harton leaned down and watched her laugh; after a while, he felt like he just couldnât handle her. So, he held the back of her head with one hand and kissed her.
He kissed her twice, then thought about drying her hair first.
But as soon as he moved away, Charlotte wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed herself against him, and kissed him again.
Harton put one arm around her waist and slowly kissed her.
He actually did sense her feeling of subtle loss but noticed that it quickly disappeared after he returned to the room and talked with her.
Or rather, it was quickly hidden.
The little girl seldom needed his extra consolation. Most of the time, she derived a sense of security and stability from him.
So often, he didnât need to say much.
All he needed was to listen to the little girl speak or simply accompany her.
The arm Harton used to hold Charlotteâs waist began to tighten. After a while, he threw the hairdryer to one side and placed his hand on the back of her head, slowly caressing it.
Outside, it began to rain. The pattering rain floated into the room through the open window on the balcony.
Charlotte backed away slightly, opening her eyes to meet Hartonâs gaze. She saw his red eyes and the bottomless desire within them.
The two locked eyes for a brief moment; Harton then caressed her face and kissed her again.
Her sleeping robe slipped off her shoulders, and Charlotte suddenly exerted force, pushing Harton onto the rocking chair behind them. She straddled him.
Both of them were wearing silk nightgowns, very thin, allowing them to feel each otherâs body heat through the fabric.
Hartonâs heartbeat raced, and a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead. Touching Charlotteâs face, his voice was hoarse and tender as he asked, âHere?â
âYes,â Charlotte replied softly.
The rain outside intensified, and soon, a wind began to blow.
The wind rocked the trees outside, constantly swaying back and forth. Occasionally, a stronger gust would cause them to sway even more violently.
Rainwater was blown onto the French windows, streaming down the glass.
Charlotte buried her face in Hartonâs shoulder, her fingers trembling slightly as she clutched his clothes. After a while, she said, âHarton Clarkâ¦â
Harton tilted his head and kissed her ear, whispering teasingly, âBeg me.â
Although he said this, Harton still became more gentle.
Charlotte was forced into silence for a moment before her trembling voice uttered, âJust fucking kill me.â
Begging him was out of the question; if he had the guts, he should kill her.
Harton chuckled softly and then lifted Charlotteâs face and kissed her deeply once more.