Chapter 9: 009

009

All Rich People Are Just The Same

“Where’s Charlotte?” Astor’s sharp voice rang out as Brandon approached the door, his tone laced with irritation.

Brandon hesitated, his gaze flickering as he tried to put together the right response. “She left…” he said finally, his voice barely audible.

Astor’s expression darkened immediately. “How could you just let her leave like that?” he barked, his voice rising as he stepped closer to Brandon.

Brandon opened his mouth to respond but faltered, unable to find the words. The truth was, he hadn’t known how to stop her, or if he even should have.

Astor ran out of patience. Grabbing Brandon by the shirt, he pulled him close, his grey-brown eyes filled with anger. “You are going to find her and bring her back. Did you hear me?”

Brandon nodded quickly, his head bobbing as he stammered, “Y-Yes, sir.”

Astor released him with a shove, stepping back and straightening his suit with a flick of his wrist. Without another word, he stormed out of the room, leaving Brandon standing there, shaken.

\---

A few miles away, Charlotte and Jasmine sat on a park bench, the sound of children laughing and playing everywhere. Charlotte had finally started to relax when Elaine appeared, her face lined with concern as she hurried toward them.

“Is everything alright?” Elaine asked, her gaze darting between Charlotte and Jasmine.

Before Charlotte could answer, Jasmine piped up, her voice filled with excitement. “I saw my daddy!”

Elaine froze, her brows furrowing as she turned to Charlotte. “What is she talking about?” she asked, confusion and curiosity filling her tone.

Charlotte’s chest tightened. “Hey, baby,” she said softly, crouching to Jasmine’s level. “Why don’t you go play for a while, okay?”

Jasmine hesitated, but when Charlotte offered her a smile, she nodded and ran off to join the other children.

Elaine’s gaze bore into Charlotte, her confusion giving way to suspicion. “Charlotte,” she said, crossing her arms, “what is going on?”

Charlotte exhaled slowly, her shoulders slumping as she sat back on the bench. “The man from six years ago…” she began, her voice trembling slightly. “It was Astor Harrington. He’s Jasmine’s father.”

Elaine’s jaw dropped, her hand flying to her mouth. “The prestigious Harrington?” she whispered, her voice filled with disbelief. “Are you for real?”

Charlotte nodded, bracing herself for Elaine’s reaction.

Elaine’s shock quickly turned to excitement as she practically jumped from her seat. “Do you know what this means?” she said, her voice rising. “This is huge, Charlotte! You've practically hit a jack pot!”

Charlotte frowned, her brows knitting together. “What are you talking about? This isn’t some game.”

Elaine grabbed her shoulders, shaking her lightly. “Think about it! Do you have any idea how much power and money that man has? He’s the key to Jasmine’s future!”

Charlotte pulled away, her expression hardening. “It’s not a big deal, Elaine. All rich people are the same, they only care about themselves.”

Elaine rolled her eyes, clearly frustrated. “Charlotte, be serious. Astor Harrington isn’t just some rich guy. He’s... he’s the Harrington! Tell me everything that happened.”

Charlotte hesitated for a moment before sighing. “Fine,” she said, leaning back against the bench. “But don’t get carried away.”

Elaine nodded eagerly, sitting down beside her as Charlotte began recounting the events.

\---

“When we got to Harrington estate,” Charlotte began, her voice low and smooth. “You know how much I didn’t want to go, but I had to because you said I should give it a shot..”

Elaine nodded, motioning for her to continue. Charlotte hissed, “I thought the guy I met initially was the young master...” Charlotte paused, catching her breath.

Elaine leaned in closer, hanging on to every word.

“Everything seemed fine,” Charlotte continued. “Jasmine started exploring the house like any kid would unknown to me. But then…” She paused. “She accidentally went into his room.”

Elaine gasped, her eyes widening. “No way!”

Charlotte nodded grimly. “Astor was furious. He came storming into the living room, demanding to know who was responsible. I didn’t even realize what had happened until Jasmine confessed. And that’s when…” She trailed off, her throat tightening as the memory resurfaced.

Elaine reached out, squeezing her arm gently. “What happened?”

Charlotte swallowed hard. “That’s when he looked at her,” she said quietly. “And I could see it in his eyes. He knew. He recognized her immediately.”

Elaine’s mouth fell open, but she said nothing, letting Charlotte continue.

“He confronted me later,” Charlotte said, her voice trembling. “Asked if she was his. I tried to deny it at first, but… what was the point? She looks just like him.”

“And what did he say?” Elaine asked, her tone a bit urgent.

Charlotte laughed out, but her expression was different. “He didn’t want her emotionally, just as a pawn for his inheritance. He offered me money, Elaine. A huge sum of money Elaine! Just to stay at his mansion for thirty days and play the role of his wife...’”

Elaine’s jaw dropped again. “He what?”

“You heard me,” Charlotte said, her tone sharp. “He doesn’t care about us. He only cares about what Jasmine can do for him. They're all just the same!”

Elaine shook her head, disbelief showing in her face. “That’s unbelievable. What did you say?”

“What do you think I said?” Charlotte snapped. “I told him no. I wasn’t going to let him use my daughter like that.”

Elaine nodded slowly, her excitement fading as she absorbed Charlotte’s words. “So you just… left?”

“I had to,” Charlotte said firmly. “I couldn’t stay there, not with him acting like we’re pieces in his game.”

Elaine sighed, leaning back against the bench. “Charlotte, this is a mess,” she said quietly. “What are you going to do now?”

Charlotte looked out at Jasmine, who was laughing as she played with a group of children. Her chest tightened, a mix of anger and sadness swirling within her.

“I don’t know,” she admitted finally. “But I won’t accept that kind of thing, Elaine. Not for me, and definitely not for Jasmine.”