From Desk to Altar: The CEO's Irresistible Bargain

Charlotte's stride faltered, a wry smile touching her lips - a silent testament to the absurdity of it all. Impossible.

It was just Liam being... overly territorial. His things were his alone; others need not lay a finger on them.

"Charlotte." As they stepped beyond the gated threshold of the neighborhood, Vincent spoke up again, his voice laced with curiosity. "Do you see Chloe as a sister, perhaps? After all, the resemblance between you two is uncanny." Her silence was her shield, a barrier hastily erected to keep him at bay. In a bid to escape his prying eyes, she contemplated hailing a cab - a luxury she seldom allowed herself.

Vincent's tone grew urgent, "She's not-she..."

The sharp chirp of Charlotte's phone cut through the tension, and with a polite nod from Vincent, she excused herself to take the call.

Stepping aside, she glanced at her screen and moved away from him.

"Miss Perry."

Chloe's voice quivered with vulnerability. "I confronted Liam about his relationship with you, and he denied any involvement."

Charlotte's gaze dropped, a desolate weight settling in her chest.

No ties, no bonds - it was what she yearned for, wasn't it? Then why did her heart ache at the thought?

"But when I asked him about the engagement, he told me not to entertain wild thoughts. He said he wouldn't engage with me isn't that what he suggested to our elders before I arrived here? Why did he change his mind after asking about you? Miss Perry, please tell me why!"

Chloe's voice rose in a crescendo of despair, sending a piercing sting through Charlotte's ears - and her heart.

"I..." Charlotte barely began.

Chloe's plea interrupted her, a cry wrapped in tears. "Miss Perry, I implore you, don't take him from me. I can't bear to lose him. Charlotte, help me, talk to him, will you?"

Charlotte stood silent, her fingertips whitening with the force of her grip.

How's she gonna persuade him? What right does she even have to give advice? Liam would probably flip out on her!

But Chloe's tears... they tugged at her heartstrings.

"Alright," Charlotte's voice trembled with reluctant agreement. "Don't fret. I'll speak to him."

"Thank you, thank you! You're a few years my senior, so I'll call you 'sister' as thanks for your blessing, sister."

Hearing the word "sister," Charlotte couldn't hold back anymore. She hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and calmed herself down.

A hand reached out, offering her a tissue.

Looking up, she was met with Vincent's deeply furrowed brow of concern.

"She's deceiving you; she's not your sister. Annie never stopped playing the victim or manipulating others."

"Annie?"

How did Vincent know? If he had dug deep enough to uncover Chloe's real name, he could easily use it to destroy her. Why, then, did he seek her out?

Charlotte's mind whirled in turmoil.

After a moment, she wiped her face and stood, her voice steady but cold. "Convince me with evidence, Mr. Blackwood."

Vincent understood the unspoken message; his words held little weight without proof.

"The painting, an old friend's diary, and preserved strands of hair-I've sent for them with urgency. Until they're before you, Miss Perry, I urge you not to act rashly, especially not on Chloe's behalf with Liam." His expression was a complex tapestry of emotions. "Liam's pride is unyielding; he won't change his course for anyone. Whatever your dealings with him, any attempt at persuasion will only ignite his fury." Pausing, he added with a hint of warning, "Chloe knows full well she's pushing you into the lion's den by asking for such a favor, sister or not. Would a true sister be so cruel?" With that, he turned and left.

Charlotte watched him vanish before finally allowing her gaze to wander aimlessly.

Eventually, she boarded the bus back to the modest two-bedroom apartment Liam had arranged for her-a place with no ownership, just residence.

To her surprise, Liam was home.

He was engrossed in a call, seated on the living room couch, oblivious to her arrival. Charlotte lingered in the hallway, waiting for the conversation to end.

"When did my marriage become a pawn in your power plays? Since when did the Parker family fall so low that marriage alliances became necessary to secure our standing?"

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"A bunch of losers, using women to gain power and influence. They might as well just off themselves and go apologize to their ancestors in the afterlife!"

"I know the engagement was set by my grandfather before he passed away, but didn't the Beaumont family call it off? What's that got to do with me?"

Liam ended the call with a scowl, standing up and catching a glimpse of Charlotte.

His furrowed brow softened as he spotted her, a playful jab in his voice, "Cat got your tongue? You sneak back in and don't utter a peep?"

"I didn't want to interrupt your call," she replied with a shy excuse.

Charlotte glided into the room, brewing him a cup of her special soothing tea. "Is your family pushing you into an engagement?"

"I won't be shackled," Liam declared, his gaze dropping to her, fingers tracing the dried paths of tears on her chin. "You got what you wanted, didn't you?"

After all the commotion, wasn't him staying single her ultimate goal?

"Miss Perry," he chided, half-teasing, half-serious, "a mouth is for more than just dining; it's for speaking up, too."

Letting go, he strode towards his study, "Next time, just tell me what you want."

"Mr. Parker."

Liam paused mid-stride, then turned, his eyebrows knitting together, "Still not satisfied?"

Charlotte felt a bitter taste in her heart. Liam was arrogant and quick to anger whenever things didn't go his way. Whether for her or some other reason, she felt indebted to him. But their paths were never meant to intertwine.

Not even in a business deal.

Her voice raspy, she confessed, "Chloe adores you, she's looking forward to marrying you."

Liam went silent, his face blank, not a trace of emotion showing.

"What are you implying?" he demanded, stepping closer, forcing her to meet his gaze, "Is it Chloe who's eager, or is it you?"

"I wish you both the best," she said, her heart turning to ice with the words.

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If she could, she'd totally be up for some romance, but she feels like she doesn't have any other choice.

Liam would never heed her words and certainly not alter his decisions based on her advice.

Persuading him was a fool's errand.

It was something the old Charlotte would never have dreamed of attempting, but for Chloe's sake, she was willing to try.

Predictably, her words incensed Liam, his grip tightening as if to shatter her resolve.

"What am I to you? Charlotte, how dare you toy with me like this!"

Charlotte said numbly, not really meaning what she was saying, "I've got enough money now, so the deal's off. I'll move out of here, and we won't have anything to do with each other anymore." "You see," her head bowed, hiding the tears brimming in her eyes, "how can anything bought with money be genuine?"

Liam watched her retreat to the couch, silent.

The bulging vein on his forehead and the tight line of his jaw were tell-tale signs of the storm raging within him, far from the calm he portrayed.

His phone buzzed lightly, and he glanced at the message.

"Robert's been taken to the pig farm for strict supervision, no chance of getting out anytime soon."

So that was it.

It wasn't jealousy or concern over his engagement; she wasn't worried about being usurped by a fiancée.

Her leave was simply because she had made her money.

She no longer needed the funds or the protection, and she was desperate to escape him.

"Charlotte."

His voice, deep and magnetically hoarse, was unexpectedly calm, "I'm giving you one final choice. Walk out that door today, and we're done for good." He looked up, his dark eyes empty, a hollow promise, "I always keep my word."