From Desk to Altar: The CEO's Irresistible Bargain

The HR manager almost leaped out of her chair when Charlotte burst in and asked her question. "Yeah, everyone knows that. She was adopted when she was about eight or nine, I think." Charlotte's heart began to race as though it might burst free from her chest with the confirmation.

She fled in her state of shock, but as fate would have it, she caught sight of Chloe returning, her laughter mingling with those around her as she strolled into the bustling lobby. The clamor of the crowd was a chaotic symphony, but through it all, Charlotte's eyes were riveted on Chloe, and without thinking, she whispered a name from the past. "Annie."

Annie was a name drenched in childhood innocence, the name of her lost sister.

Her whisper was a mere breath, lost in the din, noticeable only to one with a connection deep enough to recognize the call.

"Annie?"

Chloe paused, her head turning, a furrow of confusion on her brow as she searched for the source of the familiar call.

But the source had vanished; Charlotte had already retreated behind the foliage, muffling her sobs with her hand clamped over her mouth.

Chloe had reacted to the name Annie!

Charlotte forced herself to stand tall among the greenery. She had to confirm Chloe's identity, and if she was indeed her long-lost sister, she'd allow no harm to come to her. Including herself.

Yet, approaching someone of Chloe's stature seemed impossible with her current social standing.

Her only chance to stay close, to confirm the truth about Chloe's identity, was to remain at Parker Group.

She would have to swallow her pride, retract her resignation, and stay on as an assistant for a while longer.

Henry pushed open the door to a scene of chaos in the office.

Approaching the brooding figure on the sofa, he reported with trepidation, "Mr. Parker, Robert is here, downstairs. Should we send someone to throw him out?"

Liam always had Robert intercepted when he came to the company seeking Charlotte. Henry expected the same protocol.

To his surprise, Liam rose and strode toward the elevator.

"Where is he? I'll deal with him myself."

Liam walked into the alleyway by the front of the company and saw a sketchy-looking middle-aged guy slumped in a corner.

Robert saw him as well. "Mr. Parker! What's got you coming down here yourself? I only need four hundred thousand this round. Just send it to my card, and we'll be square."

In the past, whenever Robert had pestered Charlotte for money, she'd never given in. Instead, it was Liam who had paid him off to keep him away from the company-and Charlotte.

As Robert slithered toward him, his words barely out, Liam's fist connected with his face, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Charlotte declared it's over between us."

He grabbed Robert and pulled him up, then landed another punch on his nose. "That really makes me mad."

"I've really cared for her, put up with annoying guys like you for her sake, and she still has the nerve to break things off with me?"

"She's ungrateful, so you'll pay the price."

Punch after punch landed each one, a brutal testament to Liam's rage.

Standing over Robert, Liam pressed his foot down, "Do you think you deserve to live?"

Robert, twisting in agony, shouted, "I should be dead! I promise, Mr. Parker, I'll drag that bitch back to you. I'll give her the thrashing of a lifetime to make you feel better!" "Who did you call a bitch?"

Liam's pressure intensified, mangling Robert's face under his shoe. "Thrashing? I've cherished her like a precious gem. How could I bear to harm her?"

"She's probably just throwing a fit. I'll get her to come back and say sorry to you, Mr. Parker. She'll give you a real apology!"

Robert's words struck a chord with Liam. Ever the money-grubber, Charlotte wouldn't just walk away from him, her golden goose, over an engagement. She was likely angling for more money, playing games to irk him.

Give her a way to save face, and she'd come crawling back.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Mr. Perry." Liam lifted his foot, his tone markedly lighter.

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As Charlotte made her way back to the HR department to retrieve her resignation letter, she was met with a surprise.

"Your departure is of particular interest to Mr. Parker, given that he personally selected you. Thus, he'll be the one to address your resignation," explained the HR representative.

With no other option, Charlotte was left with a covert mission: to retrieve her letter before it caught Liam's eye.

She knew too well that if Liam saw the letter, he would unleash a storm of fury, forever barring her from crossing the threshold of Parker Group again.

As she approached the CEO's office, poised to knock, the view through the slightly ajar blinds rooted her to the spot.

Inside, the office was a scene of disarray, likely the aftermath of Liam's temper flaring up in response to her earlier provocations.

Amid the chaos, there was Chloe, poised and blushing on the only untouched piece of furniture, a sofa, exchanging whispers with Liam.

She was the spitting image of the sister Charlotte remembered, now all grown up.

Charlotte couldn't help but drink in every detail of her mannerisms and expressions greedily.

Caught off guard while reaching for a magazine, Liam's gaze landed on Charlotte, who seemed to be frozen outside the window.

Dismissing Chloe with a casual authority, he said, "Evening's creeping up on us. Go change into something nice; I'll take you out for dinner." Chloe, clearly smitten, could only nod and gaze at him with eyes full of infatuation before reluctantly bidding her goodbyes.

Chloe's departure left Charlotte alone with Liam, who, upon returning from sending Chloe off, found Charlotte lurking in the corner. "Why are you lurking around here?" he asked, looking down from his towering height.

Charlotte's mind was a whirlwind of confusion, but she went straight to the point, "Was Chloe adopted by the Beaumont family?" Seeking the truth from Liam seemed the quickest path, but as expected, he wasn't inclined to disclose such information easily. "You have no right to know about her past," he stated bluntly.

"And why are you here?"

he prodded further when Charlotte hesitated to admit her true intention of retrieving her resignation.

Knowing Liam's pride, just being allowed in his office was a privilege.

He would surely cast her out without a second thought if he knew she wanted to retract her resignation.

"I..." she faltered, then, with a small step forward, she ventured, "Can we talk inside?"

Liam's expression was unreadable, yet he didn't turn her away.

Had Daniel been there, his jaw would have dropped in astonishment.

After Charlotte had the guts to take on Liam's ego, anyone else would have been banned for good, not even given a shot at making things right.

But he let Charlotte come back around him so easily and even let her into his office.

Once inside the office, Charlotte immediately spotted her resignation letter amidst the fallen documents on the floor.

She stealthily stepped on it, planning to later seize the opportunity to destroy it.

"So, tell me, what brings you back? Can't part with the money?" he asked icily.

"Not at all..." As a bead of sweat trickled down her back, Charlotte struggled to concoct a believable excuse.

"Charlottel"

Liam's voice cut through the prolonged silence, his patience wearing thin.

"I thought you'd wised up, but it seems you're as foolish as ever."

Robert had just suggested she apologize, and here she was, showing up unexpectedly with an air of dignity that bordered on arrogance. How ludicrous.

Confused by his sudden anger, Charlotte began to tidy up the office. Her tasks as a general assistant were second nature to her.

In the process, she discreetly slid the resignation letter into her pocket.

But as soon as she did, a warm hand clasped her neck, forcing her to face the sofa.

Lifting her gaze, she was met with Liam's figure looming over her.

"I can offer you much more than just money," he uttered, his voice cold as ice.