The Illegitimate Flame: Bride of Ashes
Chapter 66- think about me

Chapter 66: Chapter 66- think about me

Charles observed for several days, and only after confirming that Derrick had stopped targeting Janet did he finally feel safe enough to return to where she was. Those days, how much he missed her—but the memory of the last time he saw her, the worried look on her face for another man, stirred a mix of love and hate inside him. If it were anyone else, maybe he wouldn’t feel so extreme. But August was different—the hatred between them was something that couldn’t be erased.

"Where’s Janet?" When Charles returned to the villa, only two bodyguards he had hired were downstairs. He noticed that the food on the dining table had barely been touched.

"Miss Louis is in her room. She didn’t eat dinner either."

Charles loosened the tie around his neck and walked upstairs, his face darkening. Was she protesting him with her own body?

When Charles pushed open the door, Janet was curled up like a hurt kitten, a small ball beneath the sheets. Feeling a pang of pity, he stepped quietly toward her, but the movement still startled her awake.

"Why are you locking me in?" Janet sat up, her eyes accusing him. But why did he look so tired? As the words left her mouth, her heart tightened, drawn by him.

"Janet, I’m protecting you. It won’t happen again. Tomorrow, come with me to the company, okay?" Charles coaxed, gently patting her head. He liked that height—her leaning against him, where he could hold her in one hand. He was used to having her by his side and didn’t want anyone unimportant to affect their relationship.

"Why? Are those people... your dad’s men?" Janet no longer called that ruthless man "dad" so casually. And she wasn’t sure what kind of attitude she’d have the next time she saw Derrick. She really wanted to ask that cold man how he could be so cruel.

"It’s okay now. It’s all taken care of." Charles looked exhausted as he pulled Janet into his arms and collapsed onto the bed. Janet had prepared to scold him harshly, but when she saw his bloodshot eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to say a word. Everything he did was for her, and she should understand that.

"Charles..." Janet pushed him gently, just as she was gathering the courage to bring up August. But his soft breathing drifted into her ears. She looked up and saw him lying on the bed, still fully dressed, already asleep. With a sigh, she resigned herself and carefully helped him out of his clothes, changing him into pajamas. The words she had planned to say tonight would have to wait once again.

The next day, Janet followed Charles into Black Rock Co. As she glanced at the judging eyes whispering behind their backs, she felt a calmness settle over her. No longer just "the sister-in-law," she could openly be the woman by his side. Even facing criticism, she no longer felt wronged or guilty.

But when she saw August again, her eyes softened. Those deep pools of his were clear, like they had been cleansed. In his gaze, there was no trace of shame or self-pity. Janet wasn’t sure if he was deliberately hiding a shadow beneath the surface, or if he had simply learned to mask it.

A month ago, a subsidiary of Black Rock Co., Easilir Cosmetics, had a successful photoshoot. But Charles didn’t seize the chance to sign Zoey. Now her value had soared even higher, yet the advertisements for Easilir returned to featuring Charles’s favored model, Ivanka.

"Terence, it’s you again?" Zoey’s new modeling agency focused mostly on runway shows. She only took advertising gigs because of Charles. But he seemed to barely notice her anymore. Her fame was enough now—she didn’t need Black Rock Co. to boost her career. She was simply doing what she loved.

As she stepped out of the skyscraper, Terence blocked her path again. Since she had bluntly told him they were only mutually benefiting adults, Terence hadn’t given up. Zoey disliked clingy men, but his persistence stirred a faint spark of hope in her lonely heart.

"Since we’ve known each other, tell me—do you want my body, or my money?" Zoey stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Terence’s neck. The Louis family was fallen now, but Terence’s charm hadn’t faded in the slightest. His handsome looks and passionate heart made her restless again.

"How can you say that? I’m not with you for your money!" Terence was a spoiled playboy, but fiercely proud. He knew Zoey came from a noble family, rich beyond measure, but what truly captivated him was her.

"But with your current situation, Zoey, I really have my doubts. The Louis family is almost lost to others now—what do you still have left to play with me?" Zoey leaned in, pressing her ruby lips onto Terence’s white shirt. The vivid red kiss seemed to mock his arrogance, instantly sobering him up.

Terence had always ignored company matters, naturally assuming that as long as he inherited Harold’s fortune, with Anila backing him, he had no reason to worry about his future.

But lately, with so much negative news swirling around Louis Corp., he knew the company was in crisis. Harold hadn’t mentioned a word to him, and Terence certainly wasn’t going to care on his own.

This was the difference between men — the gap between Terence and Charles. One was a playboy living for pleasure; the other was a financial titan whose words could shake the entire market. To her, Terence wasn’t even worth a finger of Charles’s hand.

The bright red lipstick mark jolted Terence awake. Zoey was a proud heiress — what right did he have to treat her like a game?

But the truth was, he had never intended to just play with her.

Watching Terence’s wounded silhouette fade away, Zoey felt a flicker of loss. But with all her brilliance, she didn’t need a man unworthy of her.

Charles noticed Janet’s gaze lingering less and less on him, and even her words became distracted. He was sharply aware of how her eyes softened that afternoon in the elevator when she saw August—her hesitation barely concealed.

"Who are you thinking about?" Charles’s sudden voice made Janet’s heart race. She spun around and met his piercing gaze.

"Ah?"

"This is the office. Put those thoughts away." Charles sounded a little annoyed at her distraction. "If you’re going to think about anyone, think about me."

Then, seeing Janet’s face flush, he smirked slightly and walked past her into his office.