Chapter 165 Awakening
Chapter 165 Awakening
Charlotte: POV
I woke up to white walls and the smell of disinfectant. My head felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it.
For a second, I couldn't remember where I was or how I'd gotten here.
Then it all came rushing back.
Cole's confession. His screaming about my mother. The way Michael had—
"Michael," I croaked, my throat dry and raw.
Alice appeared at my bedside immediately. "Ms. Caldwell. You're awake."
"Where's Michael?" I tried to sit up, but my head spun. "What happened to him?"
Alice gently pressed me back against the pillows. "He's been detained at the county jail on assault charges. Bail's been set at fifty thousand dollars. You can post it anytime."
Fifty thousand. The number barely registered. I would've paid ten times that without blinking.
"I'm posting his bail," I said immediately. "Right now."
Alice shook her head. "He specifically told me not to let you. The whole thing was livestreamed—millions of people saw what happened. He thinks if you bail him out immediately, it'll look like you're using your wealth to sweep this under the rug."
"I don't care what he said." I pushed myself up despite the dizziness. "Have you seen what's happening online? Show me."
Alice hesitated, then handed me her tablet.
I scrolled through the headlines, my heart pounding.
CALDWELL SCANDAL: Identity Theft, Murder, and Decades of Deception
#ColeStoneMonster Trending Worldwide
#JusticeForMichael Petition Reaches 2 Million Signatures
【That bodyguard is a hero. He did what we all wanted to do.】
【Why is he even in jail? Someone bail him out already!】
【If Charlotte doesn't bail him out immediately, I'm going to lose all respect for her.】
I looked up at Alice. "You see this? Public opinion is completely on our side. If I leave him in there, it makes me look ungrateful. Like I don't care about the man who defended my honor."
"Ms. Caldwell—"
"No." I swung my legs over the side of the bed. "Michael was thinking about optics, but he didn't account for how fast public sentiment would shift. Right now, bailing him out immediately makes me look loyal. Leaving him in jail makes me look cold and calculating."
Alice studied me for a moment, then slowly nodded. "You're right. Every minute he stays in custody, more people are questioning why you haven't posted bail yet."
"Exactly." I stood up, ignoring the way the room tilted. "Get me discharged. I'm posting his bail personally. Right now."
Two hours later, I was in the back of a car heading toward the San Francisco County Jail, Alice beside me and a security team following in another vehicle.
"The bail payment has been processed," Alice said, checking her phone. "They're expecting us."
"Good." I stared out the window. "And make sure the press knows. Not officially, but... let it leak. I want people to know I didn't hesitate."
Alice's lips quirked slightly. "Already done. The story is that you came straight from the hospital to post his bail."
The jail was exactly as depressing as I'd imagined—gray concrete, barred windows, the faint smell of desperation.
I approached the front desk, where a bored-looking officer sat scrolling through his phone.
"I'm here to post bail for Michael Sullivan," I said firmly.
The officer looked up, his eyes widening when he recognized me. "Ms. Caldwell. Yes, we received the payment notification. I just need you to sign some paperwork."
He slid a stack of forms across the counter. I signed them quickly, my hand steady despite the headache pounding behind my eyes.
"How long until he's released?"
"Should be about thirty to forty-five minutes," the officer replied.
Forty-five minutes felt like an eternity. I paced the lobby, unable to sit still.
What would I say to him? Would he be angry that I'd gone against his wishes?
Finally, a door opened, and Michael emerged.
He looked rough. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair disheveled, and there were dark circles under his eyes. But he was walking, breathing, alive.
Our eyes met across the lobby, and something in my chest cracked wide open.
I moved toward him without thinking.
"Charlotte," he said, his voice rough with surprise. "You shouldn't be here. You just got out of the hospital—"
"I posted your bail," I interrupted, my fingers wrapping around his arm. "Don't argue with me about it."
He stiffened, his jaw tightening. "I told Alice not to let you—"
"I know what you told Alice. But have you seen what's happening online?" I pulled out my phone, showing him the trending hashtags, the millions of comments demanding his release. "Public opinion shifted completely, Michael. Leaving you in here would've made me look like an ungrateful bitch. Bailing you out makes us both look good."
He stared at the screen, something unreadable flickering across his face.
"You did this for optics?" His voice was carefully neutral.
"I did this because it was the right move," I said firmly. "For both of us. The narrative is on our side right now—we need to capitalize on that."
It wasn't the whole truth. But it was easier than admitting that the thought of him spending even one night in jail had made something in my chest twist painfully.
Michael studied me for a long moment. Then, slowly, some of the tension left his shoulders.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Thank you. For coming."
I smiled, trying to ignore the way my heart was hammering. "Don't thank me yet. You're going to be dealing with a media circus when we get outside."
"I can handle it." His lips quirked slightly. "I've dealt with worse."
"Yeah," I said softly. "I know you have."
Alice cleared her throat. "The car's waiting. We should go before the press presence gets even bigger."
Too late. As we stepped outside, I spotted at least a dozen news vans already lined up, cameras emerging like predators scenting blood.
"Ms. Caldwell! Is it true you came straight from the hospital to post bail?"
"Charlotte! Are you and your bodyguard romantically involved?"
"How much was the bail?"
I felt Michael tense beside me, his protective instincts kicking in. But I squeezed his arm gently, stopping him.
"Yes, I posted his bail," I said clearly, looking directly at the cameras. "Michael Sullivan defended me when I needed it most. I'm not going to abandon him now. That's all I have to say."
Then I tugged Michael toward the waiting car, ignoring the shouted questions that followed us.
As we slid into the back seat, Alice already on her phone managing the fallout, I finally released Michael's arm.
He was looking at me with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing," he said quietly. "Just... thank you. For not leaving me in there."
"You're welcome." I leaned back against the seat, suddenly exhausted. "Now let's go home and figure out what the hell we're going to do next."
"Home," he repeated, and there was something almost wondering in his voice.
"Yeah," I said, closing my eyes. "Home."