Chapter 401: Laying It All Bare
Charles… refused to see her?
Why?
She'd already apologized. Her attitude had been sincere. So why was Charles still unwilling to meet with her?
Her manager tried to reason with her. "Evelyn, let it go. Mr. Windsor made it clear he doesn't want to see you. If you keep pushing, you'll only make things worse."
"I don't believe it. Mr. Windsor must still be angry with me. I just need to find a way to make him forgive me…"
"Evelyn! Get a grip! Mr. Windsor has absolutely no romantic interest in you! The only reason he gave you another chance is because Emily intervened on your behalf! Stop deluding yourself!"
"Emily, Emily! It's always Emily! What's so special about her? She's about to be divorced, for God's sake. Why does Mr. Windsor still listen to everything she says?"
"Because she's Mr. Windsor's wife! Even if they're getting divorced, that's between them! You have no right to interfere!"
Evelyn froze, stunned by the outburst.
She stared at her manager, and tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.
"I… I just like him. Is that so wrong?"
Her manager softened slightly at the sight of her tears.
"Evelyn, liking someone isn't wrong. But falling for someone who's unavailable—that's where the problem starts. Everyone knows Mr. Windsor only has eyes for Emily. There's no room for you."
"But they're getting divorced."
"Even if they divorce, Mr. Windsor still won't choose you. You and he exist in completely different worlds."
Evelyn sank onto the couch, tears streaming down her face.
She refused to believe it.
She refused to accept that all her fantasies had been nothing but wishful thinking.
She refused to believe that Charles felt absolutely nothing for her.
"I don't believe it… I don't believe it…"
Her manager watched her crumble, knowing there was no point in trying to reason with her further.
Emily sat in her office, staring at her phone screen. The message she'd sent Charles hours ago showed as "read," but there'd been no reply.
[Thanks for handling the Evelyn situation. But… don't be too hard on her. Just give her one more chance.]
She'd deliberated over that single sentence for ages before finally hitting send. Not because she cared about Evelyn, but because she'd hoped it might open a line of communication with Charles—even if only a professional exchange. Anything was better than this icy silence.
But Charles hadn't responded.
Instead, Nathan called. His voice was as respectful and mechanical as ever. "Ms. Johnson, Mr. Windsor asked me to inform you that I'll be handling the specifics of Evelyn's situation moving forward."
Emily's heart sank. She forced a smile into her voice, keeping it steady. "Thank you, Nathan. I appreciate it."
After hanging up, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Tears slipped silently down her cheeks.
He wouldn't even reply to her directly anymore. He'd delegated it to his assistant, reducing their interaction to cold formality. What did that mean? Had his resolve to divorce her truly reached this point?
Why? Why was he being so ruthless?
Grief surged through her like a tidal wave. Emily pressed a hand to her chest, feeling as though something was lodged there, suffocating her. She wanted to break down and sob, but this was her office. She was the CEO of Obscura Fashion. She couldn't afford to fall apart.
"Ms. Johnson, the sales data report is ready." Nora knocked and entered, pausing when she saw Emily's expression. "Are you… all right?"
Emily took a deep breath, wiping away the traces of tears and forcing a smile. "I'm fine. Just leave the report on the desk. I'll review it now."
Nora hesitated, then set the report down and quietly left.
Emily forced herself to focus on work. She opened the report and began flipping through the pages, but her mind kept drifting—replaying Charles's voice, his smile, his tenderness.
Just yesterday, he'd loved her desperately. How could everything change overnight? Was it the scandal? The pressure? Or… had he truly stopped loving her?
She couldn't make sense of it. The more she tried, the more confused she became. Her productivity plummeted. A simple report took her three attempts to get through.
Maybe… I should just let it go. If he wants a divorce, I'll give him one. Clinging to him will only humiliate me further.
But even as the thought crossed her mind, the pain in her chest remained, sharp and unrelenting.
Meanwhile, Charles drove to Azure Cloud Manor.
The estate was as heavily guarded as ever, but this time, Beau himself waited at the entrance to greet him. In the past, such a thing would have been unthinkable.
The Campbell family and the Windsor family had been locked in a blood feud for decades. Charles's mother, Crystal, had been kidnapped and murdered over ten years ago, and suspicion had always pointed toward the Campbells. Though there was no definitive proof, the Windsors had long believed the Campbells were behind it.
Yet now, Charles stood face-to-face with Beau, and there was no hostility—only calm conversation.
"Charles, come in. After Emily left last time, I gave it some serious thought. She was right. The hatred between our families… someone's been manipulating it from the shadows."
In the study, Charles and Beau sat across from each other.
Beau lit a cigar, exhaling a plume of smoke. "The people who kidnapped and killed your mother, Crystal, ten years ago—they weren't Campbell operatives."
Charles's gaze sharpened. "Then why didn't you explain? Why let the Windsors believe you were responsible?"
Beau gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Explain? The Campbells have so many enemies, one more grudge didn't make a difference. If I'd tried to defend myself, it would've looked like guilt. Besides, all the evidence pointed to us. Even if I'd spoken up, no one would've believed me."
Charles was silent for a moment. "Then what's the truth?"
Beau's expression darkened. "Recently, Emily told me that her mother—my daughter, Scarlett—died ten years ago from the Aquilonia flu virus. That revelation made me revisit certain events from back then."
He paused before continuing. "At the time, the Campbell family and the Rivera family were allies. We partnered on several ventures. But the Riveras were too ambitious. They secretly began researching that virus—ostensibly to develop a cure. But later, I discovered they'd shifted their intentions. They wanted to weaponize it. Emily told me Scarlett died from that very virus. I'd always assumed Scarlett's death was an accident. But now… I realize the Riveras deliberately targeted the Campbells. The vaccine they gave me? That was the signal of Scarlett's death."
Charles's fist clenched slightly. "And you've endured this for all these years?"
A flicker of murderous intent flashed in Beau's eyes. "Not endured. The Riveras hid too well. I genuinely believed it was an accident. I even suspected the Windsors at times, but never the Riveras."
"And now…"
"Why am I bringing this up now? Why am I starting to question everything? Because my only granddaughter married you. You have three children together. She trusts you completely. And that made me reconsider. I don't want hatred to consume the innocent."