The Illegitimate Flame: Bride of Ashes
Chapter 77- He’s Norman’s son

Chapter 77: Chapter 77- He’s Norman’s son

"No, no, I’m just thirsty... I wanted some water!" Janet placed both hands on the counter behind her, her face slightly flushed as she glanced nervously toward the bathroom. That’s when she noticed the lazy man standing by the door—bare-chested, droplets of water clinging to his skin, a towel loosely wrapped around his waist, casually watching her.

"Bring me my robe," Charles said in a deep, commanding tone, shooting Janet a piercing look. He had called her several times from inside the bathroom earlier, but she hadn’t answered.

"Oh..." Janet swallowed hard, a bitter taste lingering in her throat. Her wide eyes darted toward the bathroom again, but Charles had already closed the door behind him.

Feeling awkward, she walked over to the wardrobe and grabbed his robe, then quietly returned to the bathroom. Her gaze shyly averted from the man lounging in the tub. His long legs rested on the edge, seemingly unaware of her presence.

She placed the robe where he could reach it and parted her lips as if to say something, but no words came out. Her eyes didn’t even meet his. Thankfully, the steamy mist in the room blurred her vision, obscuring exactly where his eyes were fixed.

When Charles finally emerged, he found Janet half-leaning against the headboard, a soft yellow lamp casting a warm glow around her. He wiped the wet strands of his hair with a towel and asked, "Why aren’t you asleep yet?"

"Mmm, I’m about to," Janet murmured, her heart fluttering as she moved closer, taking the towel from his hand to help dry his hair.

He didn’t question her—perhaps he hadn’t noticed.

"You should be tired. Go to bed early," Charles said, gently brushing her hand aside, planting a kiss on her forehead before pulling her into his embrace and lying down beside her. Janet let out a sigh of relief as the steady thump of his heartbeat filled her ears, her head resting on his arm as she drifted into a deep sleep.

Charles opened his eyes, gazing at the flawless beauty nestled in his arms. She seemed almost unreal—like a delicate dream.

Since the last time he pushed Peggy away, she hadn’t come to see him for a long time. August walked into the office dressed in a crisp white suit, his face expressionless. Earlier, when he was coming from the parking lot, he had caught sight of Charles’s eye-catching Bugatti Veyron. Charles and Janet went to work and left together every day, even openly showing up side by side at the company. Now, everyone at the office already considered Janet to be Charles’s woman.

"August, are you here looking for Charles?" Janet asked as she stepped out of the pantry, only to be blocked by a dark figure at the door. Seeing it was August, she immediately lit up with a bright smile.

"No, I’m here for you," August said, slipping past her and closing the door behind him with his foot. Janet set down her cup and accompanied him to the small tea table in the pantry, sitting down beside him.

"What’s wrong?" Normally, August only came up to the 88th floor for important meetings called by Charles. Even when they crossed paths, they barely got a chance to exchange more than a few words. Janet had long wanted to get closer to him.

"Janet, Manfred already told you... Do you think I’m dirty? That I live without dignity? That I’m not even a real man?" The sadness and self-loathing in August’s eyes made Janet’s heart ache. She moved closer, took his large hand in hers, and said with a bittersweet smile, "No, August. To me, you’re cleaner than any other man. Do you know what my first impression of you was?"

She looked into August’s eyes, full of longing, and smiled like a blossoming cotton flower in spring. Slowly, the darkness and dampness in his heart began to brighten.

"I thought—there really are men as pure as angels in this world." He always wore white suits, even his shirts were pure white, like snow, like crystal. Now Janet understood the small black spot hiding deep in his eyes—that was a flaw, a stain he buried deep within.

"No, Janet, I’m not as good as you say," August said, hearing her praise but feeling only colder inside. If she ever found out about the impure intentions he held toward her, would she still look at him the same way?

He was a demon through and through. He had taken advantage of Janet’s kindness to achieve his own goals. He was far from the man she imagined.

"What happened wasn’t your fault, August. Nobody would despise you for it."

"Janet, will you stay by my side? You know I’m afraid to get close to other women. Only you... I don’t know why I can’t refuse you. But I don’t want your pity." August choked on his words, covering his face with his hands. This was the first time he had revealed his wounds to anyone.

"I’m not pitying you, August. As long as you need me, I’ll be by your side. We’re family!" Although Derrick and Charles never truly accepted him as their own, August and Charles were cousins—that bond wouldn’t change.

"Family?" August lifted his head, his eyes locking with Janet’s shimmering, moist gaze. Those radiant eyes warmed his heart, and without thinking, he wrapped Janet tightly in his arms. Besides Manfred, only Janet could give him this kind of warmth.

Janet sniffed the unfamiliar scent of him. August’s embrace was cold, making her hold him tighter. To her, August was a wounded man, and the thought of him hiding away in lonely corners, licking his wounds every day, made her despise Derrick’s cruelty all the more.

"It’s alright now. It’s all in the past. You still have Manfred," Janet gently patted his shoulders, but she could already feel the dampness at his neck—she knew those were tears.

Suddenly, the sealed room was violently thrown open with a bang. Charles stormed in, his face a mask of fury. His cold, handsome face was now covered in frost.

His eyes filled with hatred, fixed on August, who had already regained his composure. Veins bulging on his forehead, Charles took a step forward to do something he had long been itching to do.

"Charles, what are you doing?" Janet shouted, realizing his intent. She quickly stepped in front of August, blocking Charles’s fist just in time.

But Charles, glaring at Janet as she stood in front of August, roared in anger, "Get out of my way!"

"I won’t! Do you even know what you’re doing? He’s your brother!" Janet straightened her spine and met Charles’s fiery gaze with her own fierce defiance. She didn’t understand—August was the victim, yet Charles looked at him with such hatred.

"Shut up! He’s Norman’s son. I only have one brother—Philip!" Charles’s eyes flashed with wild fury, transforming into a cold, bloody menace.