Chapter 7 Charlotte Becomes A Hot Topic
The air in the car felt thicker than ever, an oppressive silence draping over the tense atmosphere. In response, Zachary procured a lighter and lit a cigarette. The smoky scent wafted through the vehicle; a smell Charlotte had always found bothersome. Despite her distaste, she kept her silence and neatened her clothing.
Silently, Zachary watched her before finally breaking the silence. “Feel any better after deliberately irritating me?”
Charlotte frowned at his remarks, but quickly composed herself. Ignoring his question, she switched topics, “Give me the information you have, and delete all the copies.” She was referring to the information Leo had shown her on the tablet.
Zachary had managed to dig up dirt on Gordon so soon. Charlotte felt alarmed. Her request seemed to tighten the heavy atmosphere in the car.
Zachary eyed her tensely, dissatisfaction apparent in his voice. “You seem to care a lot about him.”
Charlotte chose to stay silent. Her lack of response only further fueled Zachary’s annoyance. Zachary said, “Divorce him immediately.”
In the midst of his command, he casually reached over, teasingly brushing her face, “And stop trying to provoke me. You might not like what you get.”
Charlotte bristled at the threat, her suppressed anger suddenly flaring. “What are you implying?”
Zachary stared at her. It was never difficult for Zachary to intimidate, and Charlotte was no exception to that rule. His intense stare made her heart throb violently, prompting her to instinctively turn away.
Casually, Zachary started, “Didn’t you watch the news this morning?” Her mind immediately darted back to Gordon’s earlier message, prompting her to watch the news. “What happened?” she wondered aloud. She reached for her phone but, to her frustration, remembered she’d left it in her damaged car.
Zachary extended his phone towards her. Despite her reluctance to use anything that belonged to him, she took it. As she clicked on the news website, headlines from yesterday’s expo flooded the screen.
“The long lost Mrs. Sullivan resurfaces at Mr. Sullivan’s fiancée’s expo; her design, Destiny, steals the spotlight!”
“Mrs. Sullivan vs. Mr. Sullivan’s current fiancée!”
“After a three-year disappearance, Mrs. Sullivan returns! What lies ahead for Ms. Lopez, Mr. Sullivan’s fiancée?”
“Mrs. Sullivan is a genius!”
Trending topics flooded the feed, and all about Charlotte. Her mysterious disappearance had made headlines three years ago, too, and even though she was abroad, she knew about it. Her sudden appearance had caused a media frenzy, and her name was back in the headlines. Her plan hadn’t been to make a grand re-entry. She’d only returned to settle her grandmother’s affairs.
Suddenly, the phone in her hand buzzed—it was a call from Annie. But Zachary swiftly recovered his phone and, to Charlotte’s surprise, hung up.
“Why didn’t you answer it?” she asked, her tone edgy. She knew that seeing her reappearance must’ve shocked everyone, Zachary, and especially Annie who was with him.
Ignoring her question, Zachary retorted, “Do you know how to handle this now?”
“It’s just the news.” Charlotte dismissed nonchalantly. Over these three years, the media had shared everything about her alter ego, Georgia—the good, the bad and the ugly, to which she had never responded.
Regardless of the numerous rumors, Charlotte remained unfazed. She had moved on and didn’t anticipate major effects on her life, until Zachary spoke up. “If I were to sue you and Mr. Wright for adultery, will that land you in jail? We’re still legally married, after all.”
Charlotte was stunned. Anger flared in her eyes, but Zachary didn’t flinch, leaving her to reiterate, “I sent you the divorce papers. You…”
“I don’t just sign things blindly,” Zachary cut her off. “Had I been that reckless, the Sullivan Group wouldn’t have been so successful.”
Their eyes locked, a silent, unyielding battle between the two. The driver and Leo in the front seats exchanged nervous glances, each silently breaking a sweat. They fully expected Charlotte to yield, but she fired back, “Seeing as we’re still married, doesn’t your engagement make you guilty too? I could also sue you.”
A tense silence filled the car as Zachary swallowed this reality. Suddenly, Charlotte laughed. “Sorry, I forgot that you’re only engaged and are not actually married. You’re off the hook legally, I suppose. But how would Ms. Lopez’s reputation fare if the public found her out to be more of a mistress than a fiancée? That would surely dent your company’s reputation, and I’d reckon it would cost you millions.”
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