028

028
028
The Past Unveiled 

“Come with me,” Astor said, opening his palms for Charlotte to grab, she hesitated for a while but took them.

“Where are you we going to?” Charlotte asked, a bit skeptical.

“A quiet place…” Astor answered but that didn't sit well with Charlotte.

“A quiet place? What for?” She thought but saying out loud.

“Don't worry, you're safe…” Astor muttered as though he had read her thoughts.

They got to a fireplace in one of the big living room and Astor lead her through, afterwards, he left her hand, sat on one of the soft sofas, allowing Charlotte to sit opposite him.

The crackle of the fireplace filled the quiet sitting room as Astor sat on the edge of the couch, his elbows resting on his knees. 

His usual guarded expression was gone, replaced by something softer, something vulnerable.

Charlotte sat across from him, watching the flames dance as she waited for him to speak. It wasn’t often that he opened up, and she didn’t want to push too hard.

“My family wasn’t always like this,” Astor said finally, his voice low. “There was a time when things were peaceful.”

Charlotte glanced at him, surprised by the wistfulness in his tone.

“Before William’s mother came along,” he continued, his eyes fixed on the fire. “Everything was simple. My father wasn’t the easiest man, but there was order. Stability.”

Charlotte leaned back in her chair, her curiosity piqued. “What changed?”

Astor laughed slowly. “What didn’t?” he said. “When she came into the picture, it was like a storm tearing through the house. She had this... way of twisting things, of making you doubt everything you thought you knew.”

“Twisting things how?” Charlotte asked.

“She made us compete,” Astor said, his jaw tightening. “For attention, for approval, for everything. It wasn’t enough to succeed, you had to make sure everyone else failed.”

Charlotte frowned, her chest tightening at the bitterness in his voice.

“She played my father like a puppet,” Astor said, his tone dark. “Turned him against me. We became brothers against brothers. She was like poison, infecting everything she touched.”

The room was silent for a moment.

\---

In the hallway, Brandon was instructing one of the new staff members, a young woman named Elena. She seemed nervous, her hands fumbling with a tray as she listened intently.

“Just make sure the library is dusted before morning,” Brandon said. “And don’t touch any of Mr. Harrington’s documents.”

Elena nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.”

As she turned to leave, the faint sound of laughter caught their attention. Jasmine ran down the hall, her giggles echoing as she carried a small stuffed bear. She darted past Brandon, nearly knocking the tray from Elena’s hands.

“Careful, Jasmine,” Brandon called after her, though his tone was more amused than scolding.

“Sorry!” Jasmine called over her shoulder, disappearing around the corner.

Brandon shook his head with a chuckle. “Kids,” he muttered, turning back to Elena. “Alright, off you go.”

\---

Back in the sitting room, Astor continued his story, his voice steadier now. “I couldn’t take it anymore,” he said. “The constant fighting, the manipulation. So I left.”

Charlotte tilted her head. “Just like that?”

Astor nodded. “Just like that,” he said. “I packed my things and walked out. No plan, just me.”

Charlotte couldn’t hide her surprise. “That must have been terrifying.”

“It was,” Astor admitted. “But it was also freeing. For the first time, I was in control of my own life. No one telling me what to do, no one pulling the strings.”

“So how did you go from that to... this?” Charlotte asked, gesturing around the room.

Astor smirked faintly. “Hard work, a little luck, and a lot of sleepless nights,” he said. “I started small, odd jobs here and there, saving every penny I could. Eventually, I had enough to start my first business. It wasn’t much, but it was mine.”

Charlotte smiled softly, “so you were once kicked out?”
“Yes… maybe that was the push I needed.” Astor replied, “After a while, when they saw how well I was doing, my father call me back.”

“Wow.. you've really gone through a lot.” Charlotte remarked.

“Of course, it wasn’t that simple,” Astor said, his smirk fading. “My family didn’t take kindly to my success. They saw it as a threat, a betrayal. My mother especially.”

“What did she do?” Charlotte asked.

Astor hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. “She tried to sabotage me,” he said. “Spreading rumors, pulling strings behind the scenes. She wanted to prove that I couldn’t survive without them.”

Charlotte’s brow furrowed. “That’s awful.”

“It was,” Astor said. “But it also pushed me to work harder. To prove her wrong.”

\---

In the kitchen, Quinn was overseeing the preparation for the next day’s meals. The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air as the staff moved efficiently around the room.

“Did you hear about the brothers?” one of the maids whispered to another.

“What about them?”

“They’ve been fighting again,” the first maid said. “Victor and Ethan left earlier, looking like they wanted to tear someone apart.”

Quinn shook her head. “Those boys will never change,” she muttered. “Always causing trouble.”

Elena entered the kitchen, her tray now empty. “Do you need help with anything else?” she asked timidly.

Quinn waved her off. “Go get some rest,” she said. “It’s been a long day.”

Elena nodded and slipped out, leaving the kitchen bustling with activity.

\---

In the sitting room, Astor’s voice softened as he continued. “I thought leaving would solve everything,” he said. “But the truth is, you can’t outrun your family.”

Charlotte studied him, noticing the way his shoulders slumped slightly as he spoke. “Do you regret leaving?” she asked.

“No,” Astor said without hesitation. “But I regret the way things turned out. The way we hurt each other.”

A hint of sadness crept into his voice, and Charlotte felt her chest tighten. She wanted to say something, to comfort him, but she wasn’t sure how.

Before she could find the words, the door burst open, and Jasmine ran in, her laughter filling the room.

“Mommy! Daddy!” she called, holding up her stuffed bear. “Look what I found!”

Astor straightened immediately, his guarded expression returning as he turned to his daughter. “What’s that?” he asked, his tone lighter.

“It’s my bear!” Jasmine said proudly, climbing onto the couch beside him.

Charlotte smiled, her earlier thoughts pushed aside as she watched Jasmine chatter excitedly about her bear’s adventures.