Chapter 247: Plagiarism
Chapter 247: Plagiarism
Lying together like this, Charlotte could clearly feel the tension radiating from his body.
She could also feel how much he was holding back.
"George." Her voice came out soft, almost a whisper.
"I'm here." George's voice was rough, hoarse.
"Don't hold back."
It was like flipping a switch.
George's breathing instantly grew heavier.
He leaned down and kissed her.
This kiss was much deeper than the one in the living room earlier.
It carried three years of longing and love.
Outside, moonlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains.
Falling across their entwined bodies.
The temperature in the room gradually climbed.
Their breaths tangled together.
Hearts pounding like thunder.
They'd lost three years.
These three empty years—they'd spend the rest of their lives making up for them.
He murmured her name over and over.
Charlotte gripped his arms, her eyes glistening.
George panicked.
He immediately stopped, reaching up to wipe away her tears.
"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"
"I'm sorry, Charlotte. I'll be gentler."
Charlotte shook her head.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against his chest.
"No."
"I'm just happy."
George's heart melted completely.
He held her close, his movements even more tender.
Outside, the moonlight deepened.
That night, neither of them mentioned the past again.
The next morning.
Charlotte woke to sunlight streaming across her face.
She opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was George propped up on one elbow, lying on his side beside her.
Just watching her.
His gaze tender.
The affection and desire in his eyes so thick you could almost touch it.
Seeing she was awake, George smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.
"You're up?"
His voice still carried that just-woken rasp.
Incredibly sexy.
Charlotte's face flushed instantly.
She remembered last night's intensity.
Quickly burying her face in the covers.
Too embarrassed to look at him.
George laughed softly.
He reached out and pulled Charlotte into his arms, blanket and all.
"Why so shy?"
"I'm not shy." Charlotte's muffled voice came from under the covers.
Still carrying that sweet, sleepy softness.
George laughed even harder.
He was about to say something else when he heard Miranda's voice from outside.
"Mommy? Daddy?"
"Are you awake?"
Her voice grew closer.
Then the bedroom door pushed open a crack.
Miranda peeked her little head inside.
George quickly pulled the blanket up higher, covering Charlotte's exposed shoulder.
"Miranda's up?" He smiled.
Miranda pushed the door open and ran in.
She climbed onto the bed, settling down next to Charlotte.
"Mommy, I smell something yummy."
"Did Daddy make breakfast?"
George ruffled Miranda's hair. "You stay here with Mommy. I'll go get the food."
With that, he got out of bed and left.
Only then did Charlotte emerge from under the covers.
Miranda suddenly scrambled up from the bed.
She knelt at the edge, looking at Charlotte.
Her little face completely serious.
"Mommy."
"What is it?" Charlotte looked at Miranda.
Miranda bit her little lip, as if gathering tremendous courage.
"Can Daddy live here forever?"
Charlotte froze, then tapped Miranda's little forehead.
"Spill it. Did Daddy tell you to ask that?"
"Did he bribe you with candy to come be his little messenger?"
Miranda shook her head vigorously.
"No! Nobody told me to!"
She giggled and threw herself into Charlotte's arms.
"I was just talking with my friends at school."
"They said their mommies and daddies all live together."
"Every night their daddies read them stories, and take them to school in the morning."
"Only our house, Daddy comes sometimes and sometimes he doesn't."
"Miranda wants to see Daddy every morning when she wakes up too."
"Miranda wants Mommy and Daddy to be with her every day."
Charlotte went still.
She'd always thought she could give Miranda double the love.
That she could be both mother and father.
That she could make Miranda just as happy as any other child.
But she hadn't realized that in Miranda's little heart, she'd always been hoping Mommy and Daddy could live together.
That a father's love was something she could never replace, no matter how hard she tried.
Charlotte looked at the hope in Miranda's eyes.
Her heart ached and melted at the same time.
She smiled gently, pulling Miranda into her arms.
Kissing her little cheek.
"Okay."
"Since Miranda wants me and Daddy to live together."
"Then we'll live together."
"From now on, Daddy will be with Miranda every day. How's that?"
Miranda's eyes went wide as saucers.
As if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"R-really?" Her little voice trembled. "Daddy's never leaving again?"
"Really." Charlotte nodded with a smile. "He's not leaving."
"Yay!"
Miranda let out a cheer.
She bounced up on the bed, jumping up and down.
"Daddy can stay here forever!"
"Miranda has Daddy now! We're a real family now!"
George walked into the room just then, watching the mother and daughter in their joyful chaos.
His eyes felt hot.
He'd waited for this day for far too long.
Just then, the phone on the nightstand suddenly rang.
It was David calling.
George frowned.
Calling this early—it had to be urgent.
He answered.
"Mr. Summers! We have a problem!" David's voice on the other end was rushed, almost panicked.
George's expression immediately darkened.
He instinctively glanced at Charlotte, who was still playing with Miranda.
He got up and walked to the window, lowering his voice.
"What happened? Slow down."
"It's like this, Mr. Summers." David's voice was urgent. "That editor we're friendly with at the paper—he just called me privately."
"He said someone's been shopping around a stack of sketches to multiple media outlets."
"Claiming Ms. Blake plagiarized."
"Saying her latest Fabric Flowers collection is all copied from someone else's work."
"A bunch of outlets already have the sketches now. They're just waiting to run the story!"
George's fingers tightened around the phone.
His eyes went cold instantly.
A flash of something dangerous crossed his gaze.
Plagiarism?
Charlotte 'was' Morgan herself.
Who the hell would she plagiarize from?