Chapter 156 Facing the Past
Charlotte：POV
Two weeks had gone by since that night—since I'd patched him up, since he'd almost lost it and grabbed me before taking off. He'd healed up fast and thrown that professional wall back up between us, acting like nothing ever happened. But somehow the silence felt even more suffocating.
But something had shifted between us. I caught him watching me sometimes, his gaze intense and unreadable. And whenever our hands accidentally brushed, electricity sparked between us, making my breath catch.
But what happened next completely threw me off.
The text from David came through at 3 AM, jolting me awake.
[Meet me tomorrow at noon. Riverside Café. Come alone, or I'll release information about your mother that will destroy everything she built. Don't test me, Charlotte.]
I stared at the screen, my heart pounding. This bastard—this man who'd raised me, lied to me, stolen from me—was now threatening my mother's memory like it was just another card to play.
"Fuck," I whispered into the darkness.
My door cracked open. Michael appeared, backlit by the hallway light. "Ms. Caldwell? I heard movement. You okay?"
Even now, he kept that professional distance. Two weeks since the hospital. Two weeks of careful avoidance. Two weeks of pretending that night never happened.
"It's David," I said. "He wants to meet."
Michael stepped into the room, his jaw tightening. "Alone?"
"He's threatening to release something about my mother if I don't show."
"Then we both go." No room for argument in his tone. "I'll hang back, but there's no way in hell I'm letting you walk into a trap."
Something warm spread through my chest. "Thanks."
He nodded once and left, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts and David's message glowing on my screen.
The next morning, I woke up to coffee and something sweet—cinnamon, maybe. Michael had already set out breakfast, pastries and fruit arranged on the counter with almost obsessive precision.
"You didn't have to do all this," I said, pouring coffee.
"You need to eat." He didn't look up from his tablet. "Especially before dealing with this shit."
I grabbed a croissant, tearing off pieces without really tasting them. My mind kept spinning back to David's threat. What the hell could he possibly know about my mother that I didn't? What had she been hiding?
"Charlotte." Michael's voice cut through my thoughts. "Whatever he says today, remember to stay calm. Don't let him get to you."
Riverside Café was one of those trendy spots in the financial district, all exposed brick and Edison bulbs trying way too hard. I got there fifteen minutes early, grabbed a corner table where I could see the entrance. Michael planted himself at the bar with coffee and his phone, pretending to read the news.
David showed up right at noon with Paul in tow. My half-brother looked like absolute hell—dark circles hung heavy under his eyes, his face was covered in patchy stubble like he hadn't bothered shaving in days, and he had this distant, unfocused look about him.
Good.
"Charlotte." David slid into the seat across from me, putting on this concerned father act. "Thanks for coming."
"Skip the bullshit," I said flatly. "What do you want?"
The mask slipped, showing the calculating asshole underneath. "Two things. First, I need money. A hundred million."
I actually laughed. "You'd have better luck robbing a bank."
My hand went to the Bluetooth earpiece hidden under my hair. Already connected to my phone on the table, recording everything.
Olivia was listening in real-time from her office.
David's eyes narrowed. "I'm not joking."
"Neither am I. So what's your big leverage?"
He leaned in, dropping his voice. "Charlotte, you're not my daughter. Your mother cheated on me."
"Bullshit!" My hand hit the table hard enough to make the silverware jump. A few people nearby turned to stare.
Through my earpiece, Olivia's voice came through calm: "Easy. He's trying to get under your skin."
I forced myself to breathe. Once. Twice. My mother had loved David—I'd seen the proof. Whatever game he was playing, it wasn't based on reality.
"You're full of shit," I said, my voice going cold.
Paul shifted uncomfortably. "Dad, is she really not your daughter?"
"If she had my blood, would I be here begging for company shares?" David's voice was pure venom. "Your mother was a whore, Charlotte. Played the perfect wife for everyone else, but behind closed doors, she'd spread her legs for anyone."
Every word was meant to cut me down. But I didn't believe it.
"Not good enough," I said.
His face twisted. "What?"
"Your leverage. It's not worth a hundred million."
Olivia's voice hummed approval in my ear. "Nice. Keep him guessing."
"This isn't enough?" David sputtered. "If I put this out there, your mother gets labeled a slut forever. The Caldwell name gets dragged through the mud. You'll lose your CEO position!"
"You think I give a damn about being CEO?" I smiled, sharp and cold. "I care about getting you and Paul the hell out of my company. CEO or not, I still own the majority shares. I still get paid."
His face went pale.
"Here's the truth," I continued, keeping my voice steady even as rage built in my chest. "Whatever my mother's private life was like, I'm still her daughter. I've still got Caldwell blood. My inheritance is legit."
I leaned forward. "But you? You've contributed jack shit to the Caldwell legacy. No kids to carry on the name. But you've been living off the family fortune for decades. You brought your mistress into our house while my mother was dying. You let your bastard kids take over what should've been mine."
Paul flinched, his face going red.
"So tell me, David—" I let his name drip with contempt, "—what exactly happens next? Because I've been thinking about it. A lot. And I've got some pretty good ideas for dealing with you, your mistress, and your illegitimate brats."
I looked at Paul, letting him see exactly how pissed off I was.
For the first time ever, he actually looked scared of me.
"Charlotte, you wouldn't—" David started.
"Wouldn't I?" I cut him off. "Let's talk about what you've done to me over the years. The 'accidents.' The drugging. The threats. The surveillance. The harassment. " I said, "—a permanent souvenir of your 'love.' I've got proof of all of it. And now that I've got the power and money to fight back, you think I won't?"
Through my earpiece, Olivia's voice came through excited: "He's losing it. Watch his hands."
David's fingers were drumming on the table.
"Why aren't you surprised?" he asked suddenly, eyes narrowing. "About the DNA thing. You're not shocked at all."
I smiled. "Who says I didn't see this coming?"
The color drained from his face. "You already knew. You've... you've known this whole time."
"Had my suspicions," I admitted. "The way you treated me after Mom died. The way you'd look at me sometimes, like I was some stranger in your house. A good investigator can dig up all kinds of interesting stuff when you point them in the right direction."
"You manipulative little—"
"Careful," I warned. "We're in public. And my security's watching."
Right on cue, Michael shifted at the bar, his whole body language screaming threat. David's eyes flicked to him, then back to me.
"So what now?" David asked, voice tight with barely controlled rage. "You've got your company. You've embarrassed me in front of the board. What else do you want?"
"Justice," I said simply. "For my mother. For myself. For every goddamn year you made me feel like nothing."
I stood up, grabbing my purse. "Oh, and David? That info you threatened to release about Mom? Go ahead. Try it. I've got a whole team of lawyers ready to bury you in defamation suits. I've got evidence of your affairs, your embezzlement, your abuse. Every dirty little secret you've been hiding."
His face went from pale to purple.
"We're done here." I turned to leave, but his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.
Michael was there in a heartbeat, his grip on David's arm firm and unforgiving. "Let. Her. Go."
David let go, stumbling back. "This isn't over, Charlotte. You can't just—"
"Actually, I can." I rubbed my wrist where his fingers had dug in. "And I will. Enjoy whatever time you've got left before my lawyers show up."