Chapter 76: Possessive Charlotte
The original plan was for the couple to spend the weekend in Swaxon, but after hearing about Chadwick’s past, Charlotte wanted to surprise her husband. She purposely left the office early and took a private flight to Braeton.
Liam was having a dinner meeting with some influential people in Braeton. He had joined a millionaire’s club with Graham to maintain their connections, and that day was one of their social gatherings.
The event was held at the First Diamond Hotel. It was a closed-door event, only for the members and their wives or partners.
When Charlotte arrived with Chadwick, she went to the female bathroom to freshen up. It was there where she met the BNC Media news anchor, Harriet Kent.
“Hi,” Harriet greeted.
“Hi, you are that news anchor,” Charlotte remarked.
Like Charlotte, Harriet also had golden hair. They almost had the same build and height, but Harriet was taller. Charlotte’s face had a more prominent jawline, while Harriet’s was round.
“We could practically be twins,” Harriet said with a smile.
Charlotte giggled. She replied, “At a single glance, yeah, we could, but we have clear differences too.”
“I know, I am more beautiful,” Harriet said.
Charlotte, “???”
“Miss Harriet. It’s confirmed, Mister Liam Wright is in the gathering with the boss,” another woman said, squeaking in glee for Harriet.
“Oh, my god! I knew I saw him earlier!” Harriet said while resting her hand on her chest. “I’m nervous. I want to speak to Liam.”
Charlotte’s eyes rounded, and she frowned at Harriet. The news anchor proudly claimed, “Oh, I used to date Liam Wright. You know him, right? Everybody in Braeton knows him. I will try reconnecting with him and see where it might take us.”
‘Dated Liam Wright?’ The words echoed in her head, and she realized this woman was the only one Liam had dinners with.
Well, she now understood why Liam tried to date this woman. She was almost like her! Almost, but no one can beat the original Charlotte Strauss.
In response to Harriet, Charlotte said, “But, he is married
”
–
“I haven’t seen him with any woman. I think it’s fake news,” Harriet said. “I am the only woman who got close to Liam.”
Harriet turned to her colleague and reasoned, “I think our timing was not right back then.”
“Or, he could be in love with someone else, and he couldn’t get over her,” Charlotte suggested.
Harriet turned to Charlotte and chuckled. She said, “Excuse me, but Liam Wright hadn’t been in any relationship –
11
“We better go, Miss Harriet, the millionaire’s club dinner is about to end – you can’t miss Mister Wright!” The other woman said, and they both left excitedly for the hotel’s main conference room.
Charlotte’s mood soured after that. She recognized how she and Liam should have their wedding soon. Women were always fawning over him, and while she was confident of his love, it did not mean she would let these women flirt with her man!
“The only woman who got close to him? We were close since we were five years old!” Charlotte mumbled, her lips twitching then after. She hurriedly retouched her makeup and went to the conference room for the millionaire’s club gathering.
“Calm down, Charlotte. This is your husband. There is absolutely nothing to be jealous of,” Charlotte muttered as Chadwick met her halfway through the walk.
Chadwick had probably noticed where her gaze was directed that he chuckled, saying, “I see that you met the lady who Liam took out for dinners before.”
“How many dinners?” Charlotte asked.
“Three, I think,” Chadwick replied. “Don’t worry. The woman never made it into the boss’ car.
“Hmmm. Good,” Charlotte responded. She stood behind the rows of news reporters waiting for the wealthiest in Braeton to exit the conference room. Many people crowded near her, waiting for whoever was inside, but Charlotte remained in the same spot.
“Do you want me to go in there and get us inside?” Chadwick asked.
Charlotte shook her head. She answered, “No. That’s fine. I will meet him when he comes out.”
It took a few minutes, but finally, the double doors to the main conference room opened. The first set of prominent figures was familiar to Charlotte, the town’s mayor’s son and the owner of the biggest mall in the city. There were also guests whom Charlotte did not know.
Next, she saw Graham walk out. He was talking to another gentleman. Their appearance made the female reporters and onlookers gasp. Some ladies were practically drinking them with their eyes.
“Hi Graham,” Harried greeted, and Charlotte noticed Graham nod at her.
Then, Graham looked past Harriet and met Charlotte’s eyes. Graham was Liam’s cousin, the CEO of the Wright Diamond Corporation. His eyes shone at the sight of her, and he called, Charlotte! What a surprise!”
Heads snapped in her direction, and women gave her a dirty look. Charlotte saw the frown on Harriet’s face, but she ignored the stares and walked through the crowd of reporters with confidence.
“Graham! It’s nice to see you again!” She greeted.
Graham hugged her in front of the crowd. He said, “You must have been very busy. I heard you will be leading your father’s company!” Pulling away, he said, “I am happy for you, Charlotte.” About two meters from her, Harriet pushed through the crowd. She said, “Oh, you are also a businesswoman. Are you trying to get into the millionaire’s club?”
“Oh, no. Technically, I don’t live in Braeton. I am here to see my husband,” Charlotte intentionally stated.
Charlotte could tell Graham knew who Harriet was. He was giving her that awkward grin, and his eyes were evasive. He softly assured her, “Hey, you got the man and the marriage contract.
“I wasn’t feeling insecure,” Charlotte answered. “I’m just… possessive.”
Finally, her husband walked out. He was looking at his phone, not seeing Charlotte. Her husband was probably checking her messages.
“Liam! How are you? It’s been so long!” Harriet called. Her eyes formed stars at the sight of Liam, and Charlotte saw through her flirtatious moves. Her hips swayed, and Harriet kept pushing her hair behind her ears.
“I’m sorry, Harriet. I don’t have the time. If you need anything, please get in touch with my office,” Liam replied.
Liam was about to say more when Charlotte called his attention. She said, “Liam!”
His eyes landed on her, and he smiled, saying, “What are you doing here?”
“To surprise you! And spend the weekend here.” Charlotte revealed. As she inched closer to her husband, she saw how Harriet gazed back and forth between her and Liam.
Liam’s face turned red. His eyes bore only adoration for Charlotte as he expressed, “This is a wonderful surprise. I wish you would surprise me more often -”
His words were cut short because Charlotte kissed him outright. Her arms were quickly around his neck, and Liam easily wrapped his arms around her waist.
3/0
“Mmmm,” Liam moaned into her mouth. When Charlotte pulled away, he leaned closer and kissed her again. Charlotte could tell her husband was so happy to see her in Braeton. He pressed his lips against her ear and whispered, “We need to bless our home here.”
Charlotte knew what the man meant, and her face turned a shade darker. She replied, “I think I’d love that.”
“Get a room, you two!” Graham teased. “These two are always like this when they are together.”
The group of influential individuals became curious about the woman who was clinging to Liam’s arms. They started to ask about Charlotte..
“And who is this lady who caught Liam Wright’s eye? We have never seen him with a woman!
“Mister Wright, you look so in love.”
“Um. Wait. I thought you said you were here to see your husband?” Not too far from them, Harriet asked.
Liam and Charlotte turned to her. Liam revealed, “This is my wife, Charlotte.” The man shifted to his co-club members and introduced, “Mister Barrero, Mister Messi, Misses Peltz, may I introduce you to my wife, Charlotte.”
“Oh, so the news is true! I remember Madame Scarlett Wright announcing you were married!” Misses Peltz said. “But when is the official wedding?”
“We will have it soon. We are finalizing things,” Liam replied. “We will be sure to invite everyone.”
Charlotte felt the burning stare behind her back. She knew it came from Harriet, but she ignored it. The woman did not harm her anyway. Harriet was just another hopeful whose dream of being with Liam was crashing down.
‘At least I did them a favor,’ Charlotte mused. “They will finally stop wishing and focus on finding another man.’
***
Charlotte was slammed into the wall of the master’s bedroom. Liam tugged the hem of Charlotte’s dress and immediately pulled it over her head! He crashed his lips against hers and devoured her mouth.
“I am so happy you came to see me,” Liam proclaimed. He removed her bra and cupped her breast, declaring, “I’m just over the moon right now. I want to eat every part of you.”
‘Oh, yeah. I’m definitely visiting more often,’ Charlotte thought.
“Aaaah!” Without warning, Liam tore her underwear!
‘Goodbye Versace panties. It was nice while it lasted,’ she silently said before Liam played with her clit. ‘Oh, yeah. This is worth tearing the Versace off me!’ o
After groping and playing with her clit, Liam removed his clothes and went down on her. He flickered his tongue eagerly against her clit, and her body waved excitedly. When Charlotte came, she was turned to the wall, and Liam entered her from behind.
Imminently, only the loud slapping sounds of their flesh echoed across the room.
“Oh, god, Liam!” Liam was pumping so hard Charlotte could not help but scream his name. ” Ah, Liam!”
Charlotte strengthened her palms against the wall, preventing her body from being pressed flat on the concrete. She felt goosebumps as Liam littered kisses on her back, his hand gliding down her slender waist.
When Liam exploded inside of her, Charlotte felt the warm fluid in her womb. Her legs trembled in delight, and her heart galloped. Her skin formed happy goosebumps as Liam embraced her from behind.
They stayed in the same position, with Liam and her against the wall. He kissed her neck and They stayed in the same position, w back before pulling out and carrying Charlotte to bed.
The couple hugged each other, stealing kisses now and then before Liam asked, “So, what
made you decide to surprise”.
“Because I felt so luck,
good people around
to have a husband who has a kind heart and someone who values the “Charlotte said in a whisper. “Chadwick finally told me about his
past. You are just amazing, Liam. What you did for him was very kind of you.”
“Isn’t it human nature for
S to act kindly?” Liam said. “I did what every other human would do: to help those who deserve and need it.”
“Some people have the
power but not the willingness to help,” Charlotte said. “Others have the willingness but not the power.”
“Then, I am lucky to be adopted into the Wrights. In that way, I have the power and willingness to help others,” Liam faintly replied. “That will forever be a mantra passed down. to generations of Wrights, and I supposed, the Thomsons.”
***
Days went by in a blur. Charlotte was getting ready for her CEO’s official appointment when she received a text from an unknown number. It read: [I heard you are now the CEO of Strauss Asset Investments. I am proud of you. I miss you so much. Please, let’s meet. Let’s celebrate your promotion.]
Charlotte frowned. She wondered, “Who is this person?”
***
Author’s Notes: This novel is my entry to a goodnovel contest. Aside from reading, please help
me win by giving gem votes. Thank you in advance!
Chapter 76- The surprise
As everyone took to the dancefloor, Graham stood up from his seat and approached Michelle.
She was seated at the left side of the high table, happily munching on a lemon-flavoured muffin.
She looked up when she sensed him coming. White cream was smeared at the corner of her lips but she was none the wiser.
Graham looked at her and chuckled. He thought she looked cute.
He took out his handkerchief and reached his hand forward, wiping the corner of her lips.
“You eat like a baby,” he teased and heat crept up Michelle’s face.
“No, I don’t,” she said, frowning.
“You looked beautiful though. So happy and content… You’re so carefree, aren’t you?” Graham asked. He then leaned forward and whispered, “How’s my baby doing?”
Michelle blushed and looked around. “Can you not ask about that? What if someone hears?”
A low chuckle from him made her frown. She said, “I’m being serious, Graham. We could get into a lot of trouble. What are you doing here anyway?”
He had been chatting with Tony and Victor without paying any attention to her. Their eyes would occasionally meet but they didn’t get to talk much the whole day.
“If I said I missed you and wanted to talk to you, would you believe me?”
Michelle’s heart skipped a beat at Graham’s words. ‘Is he saying he loves me? No. Let me not make assumptions.’
She shook her head and answered, “I wouldn’t. You haven’t said much to me today.”
“How was I going to do that when we were seated on opposite sides?” Graham asked with an arched eyebrow. “I waited for this moment to have time alone with you.”
The music in the background suddenly changed and perfect by Ed Sheeran began to play.
Graham held out his hand to her and offered, “Can I have this dance, Miss Adams?”
Michelle’s heart pounded as she slid her hand into Graham’s large calloused hand.
She got to her feet and he led her to the dancefloor. There, Graham coiled his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. The next step was for Michelle to wrap her arms around his neck.
However, she hesitated.
Graham raised an eyebrow at her and asked, “What is it? You don’t want to hold my neck?”
“It feels too intimate. We haven’t defined our relationship yet,” Michelle responded while biting her lower lip.
“Seriously? What part of my body haven’t you seen or touched? We are even having a baby… What other definition do you want?” Graham questioned incredulously.
“I can’t assume anything, Graham. You just said we should get married because you might get in trouble at work. As far as I’m concerned, you’re marrying me because I’m pregnant. You had been ignoring me, remember?” Michelle aired her thoughts.
Graham sighed. He grabbed Michelle’s arms and guided her to wrap them around his neck. He then snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her close until there was no space between
them.
It was as if they were moulded into one.
He glanced down at her… His hazel eyes searched for something in her grey ones. “I was ignoring you because I wanted to protect you. You would live a very lonely life if you married me. I didn’t want to be selfish and stop you from finding a better man. Someone who would be around every day. With me, I could be here today and out of the country tomorrow. This type of life is not what you deserve.”
They swayed from side to side to the music. Looking into each other’s eyes… From the spectator’s point of view, this scene looked perfect.
“I don’t care about those things. As long as we are together… Distance won’t matter,” Michelle replied. “I would rather spend my days waiting for you to come home than spend my days alone.”
Graham sighed. He said, “I know it’s crazy. We were friends before and there was no attraction whatsoever… But ever since that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I dreamt about you every day. I know it’s too soon and probably too fast but I love you, Michelle Adams. The baby might have given me the courage to go ahead and be with you but the truth is, I really want you. I promise, I’ll try my best to be there for you. Just promise you won’t get tired and leave because it will destroy me.
Michelle’s heart did a flip. Her eyes stung with tears as she glanced into Graham’s eyes. She couldn’t believe what he said.
“I wish you had told me you felt that way because I couldn’t stop thinking about you too. I thought it was just a crush. However, each time I see you, my stomach goes wild with butterflies. No one in this world has such an effect on me apart from you, Graham. I don’t know if it’s love yet… But I’m willing to get married to you,” Michelle confessed, as her face. flushed.
Graham’s heart swelled with warmth. He felt at peace. Indeed, everything was easier once you stop fighting your feelings.
2/5
Chapter 76-The surprise
Having Michelle in his arms was the best feeling in the world. They were once engaged to marry through an arranged marriage. However, there were no feelings between them. Perhaps if they had gone ahead, they would have not worked out and would have divorced.
Everything happens for a reason. Maybe they were meant to meet later in life and gradually fall for each other. They were always meant to be together and this was the right time for their love to blossom.
Smiling, Graham leaned down and surprised Michelle by kissing her gently. He said, “I’m glad we met again.”
Michelle blushed. She pressed the side of her face to his chest and they continued to sway to the music.
“Well, I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know
She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I’ll share her home
I found a lover, to carry more than just my secrets
To carry love, to carry children of our own.”.
The first time Graham danced with Michelle, there was beef between them. They glared at each other but secretly crushed on each other. Now they were dancing for the second time with their real feelings reflecting on their faces.
At one of the round tables, Gerald and Celine Thompson, Graham’s parents, were seated alongside Michelle’s parents, Richard and Julia Adams. The adults were watching the young people as they danced on the dancefloor and happened to witness Graham kissing Michelle on the lips.
Julia Adams gasped and the rest shared looks as their eyes grew into saucers.
“Did you see what I saw? Our kids just kissed!” Julia exclaimed.
She had noticed that something was off about her daughter so she was watching her like a hawk the whole night.
Celine Thompson nodded and replied, “I have. What is the meaning of this? I thought they didn’t like each other and that’s why we forgot about the marriage arrangement we made for them.”
Julia was the most excited. Celine was her bestie from childhood and when she married a man from the army and had a handsome son, Julia wanted to pair him up with her adorable. daughter who she had years later.
Her eyes gleamed as she watched them. “Aren’t they so beautiful?”
Gerald Thompson chuckled. He was a retired general and had moved out of the military base to live in his family mansion in the suburbs. He glanced at his son and saw the way he was
looking at Michelle. He smiled, showing the wrinkles on his face.
Looking at Richard, the CEO of the Adams’ transport and logistic company, he remarked while raising his glass for a toast, “I guess we are going to be in-laws after all.”
Meanwhile, the newlyweds only had eyes for each other on the dancefloor. They were dancing to the same song while gazing into each other’s eyes.
– “Baby, I’m dancing in the dark.
With you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass
Listening to our favorite song
When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful
I don’t deserve this
Darling, you look perfect tonight.”-
Aaron sighed as he held his wife tighter. He said, “I can relate to this song, love. You look so beautiful tonight, wife of my youth.”
Tessa blushed. She looked up at him and replied, “You look dashing, husband of my youth.”
They discussed about their honeymoon, however, Aaron refused to give Tessa the details, saying it was a surprise.
When it was time for them to leave, Aaron and his new wife went to say goodbye and thank their family and friends for their support.
“Daddy, are you leaving us? We also want to go on a vacation,” Reagan complained and his sisters seconded him.
“Yes, Daddy. I want to come with you and Mommy,” Willa chirped while being carried in Aaron’s arms.
“Me too!” Nia added.
Aaron chuckled and promised, “I will take you to Greece at the end of the year. But for now, this is Mommy’s and Daddy’s time. We are going on our honeymoon. Don’t worry, I’ll bring you gifts.”
The kids were reasonable. When their father explained why they couldn’t go with them, they understood and were happy about the promise he made.
‘Daddy always keeps his promises.’ They thought silently.
“Be good kids and stay with Grandpa, ok?” Tessa said.
“Yes, Mommy.”
Chapter 76- The surprise
The couple left in a helicopter. They went to the airport where Aaron’s private jet was waiting.
Tessa gasped at how luxurious the interior of the jet was. It even had a bed.
Since she was tired, she lay down on it to rest. Some hours later, Aaron woke her up and said, ” I have to blindfold you, love. Like I said, our destination is a surprise.”
Tessa giggled as Aaron wrapped the blindfold over her eyes. They had already changed into comfortable clothes so that they could move around with ease.
After the jet touched down, Aaron carried Tessa bridal style and walked towards the Rolls- Royce that was waiting for them at the airport.
Tessa’s heart was racing in anticipation. She couldn’t wait for the big reveal.
When the car stopped after a while, Aaron stepped out of the car and carried his wife again.
“I can walk you know,” Tessa remarked but deep down, butterflies were fluttering in her
stomach.
“I know. I just want to carry you,” Aaron said. “Let me spoil my wife.”
When he reached where he was taking her, Tessa could hear music in the background.
Aaron placed her down and then took off her blindfold. He then whispered in her ear, “Look
up.”
Tessa’s heart missed a beat. She found herself staring at a very tall building that was displaying some LED laser lights.
Her eyes watered when she figured out where they were.
Just then, a song called Hero by Enrique started playing and then there was a sudden eruption. of water from a fountain. The fountain was choreographed to the song. Due to the led lights, the water appeared blue, sometimes purple and pink. The colourful water created patterns and shapes in the air while the lights from the tall building illuminated the area.
LED words appeared on the tall building and Tessa’s heart soared with happiness as she read
the words.
[Habibti, I love you.]
