Chapter 957

Richard had a mischievous smile on his face as he teased Charlotte.

Charlotte couldn’t help but laugh and rolled her eyes at him. “What are you on about, Richard? Even if I were the jealous type, it wouldn’t be over you. We’re childhood friends. Why, thinking of putting a ring on it?”

“Well, why not? Give it a thought?” Richard seized the moment to express his feelings.

They had grown up together, and Charlotte knew all the embarrassing stories from Richard’s childhood.

She had even nicknamed him, and he used to be so shy about it, hiding behind the adults whenever she was around.

Now that they were grown up; his shyness had taken on a different flavor. He found himself wanting to marry Charlotte to keep those childhood blunders between them.

Charlotte was taken aback for a moment. Although she knew Richard had a soft spot for her and wanted to pursue her, his direct approach still surprised her.

She didn’t expect him to actually have feelings for her, let alone consider marriage! Back in their childhood, she used to tease him a lot.

How could he have actually developed feelings for her? Was it possible he had a masochistic streak?

After a moment of shock, Charlotte managed to collect herself and said with a forced smile, hiding her inner surprise and discomfort, “We were talking about Thalassa, weren’t we? Why change the subject?”

She skillfully dodged his proposal, steering the conversation away.

“Yeah, but why can’t I give Thalassa a ride?” Richard went along, bringing the topic back on track.

Charlotte grinned triumphantly. “Do you know who owns that diner that we’ve just been to?”

“What’s that got to do with the diner?” Rick was puzzled.

Charlotte, feeling incredibly smug, said, “That place is run by Huxley Brennan, Daniel’s brother. The Brennans were run into the ground by Thalassa, snatched up by the Sinclair Group for a song, and they’re drowning in debt. Plus, Daniel’s darling daughter Faye ended up in jail because of Thalassa.

The Brennans have loathed her for ages.

With Lysander’s protection, they couldn’t touch Thalassa, but now he’s away on business, they’ll surely teach her a lesson. She’s been so uppity, looking down on me! If I don’t show her some colors, she’ll think she can walk all over me!”

By the end, Charlotte’s tone was icy.

“What?” Richard was shocked, slamming on the brakes.

The tires screeched against the pavement, and the car came to an abrupt halt. Charlotte lurched forward, then snapped back by her seat belt.

She was rattled, glaring at Richard. “What’s wrong with you? That’s dangerous!”

“You think that’s dangerous? Leaving Thalassa alone there is the real danger! How could you, Charlotte?” Richard was livid, his voice rising.

He had always thought of Charlotte as a bit clueless and without guile, but this revelation tarnished his image of her.

“What did I do? I’m not the one teaching her a lesson!” Charlotte retorted angrily.

“If you know why the Brennans went under, you should realize how important Thalassa is to Lysander.

Messing with her is like messing with him,” Richard said, frustration and concern lacing his voice.

Charlotte’s expression shifted as the gravity of the situation dawned on her, and her tone softened considerably. “They’re just going to teach her a lesson, right? A rough up or a scare, she won’t be in any real danger.”

“Charlotte, Charlotte…” Richard gestured helplessly with his finger, not wanting to berate her further.

“Just get out here, you’re home. It’s just a short walk. I need to head back and check on things,” he said finally.

“And you’re not even going to drop me off at my door? It’s still a bit of a walk,” Charlotte pouted, her dissatisfaction clear as day.