Chapter 279: He Fucked Me

Chapter 279: He Fucked Me
Charlotte's POV

The security guards damn near dragged me through my own front door. My house. As if I were some lowlife thug instead of Charlotte Whitmore, daughter of Richard Whitmore, one of Apex’s heaviest hitters. My stilettos clicked furiously against the marble floor as they hauled me toward Daddy’s study like I was a goddamn prisoner.

“Get your filthy hands off me!” I snapped, jerking my arm free with a glare. “I know where the hell my father’s office is, you idiots.”

The taller guard just stared down at me, his eyes blank as a corpse’s. “Mr. Whitmore ordered us to ensure you arrived immediately, Miss.”

Immediately. Like I was an Amazon package. I smoothed my designer dress, forcing myself to breathe. Whatever this was, I’d handle it. Daddy always caved eventually. I was his little girl, after all.

But when those heavy study doors swung open, my stomach dropped like a stone.

Leander was there. My Leander. And right beside him sat her—Seraphina Calloway, with that smug, perfect face I wanted to claw to shreds.

Worst of all, Daddy looked at me like I was a goddamn stranger.

“Charlotte,” he growled, voice rough as gravel. “Sit your ass down.”

“Daddy, what the hell is this? Why are they here?” I jabbed a finger at Seraphina, who sat there all poised and unbothered. Bitch.

“SIT. DOWN.” Each word hit like a sledgehammer, shaking the room.

I perched on the edge of a leather chair, as far from that snake Seraphina as I could get. The air crackled with raw, ugly tension.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Daddy’s voice climbed, each syllable dripping with rage. “Do you even grasp the shitstorm you’ve unleashed?”

I blinked, playing dumb. “I don’t know what you’re—”

“FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS!” he roared, slamming his fist on the desk so hard the pens rattled. “You borrowed fifty million using my house—OUR FAMILY ESTATE—as collateral!”

Ice shot through my veins. They knew. Oh, they knew. How? Dorian swore this would stay buried for months, that he’d replace the cash before anyone sniffed it out.

“It’s just temporary,” I blurted, forcing confidence into my voice. “It’s for Ravencroft Group. It’ll pay off huge, Daddy. I was thinking of our future!”

“Really?” Leander’s voice was low, dangerous, cutting through my bullshit like a knife. “Funny, since Ravencroft is about to tank harder than a goddamn Titanic sequel.”

“You don’t know shit,” I hissed, my eyes darting to Seraphina. This was her fault. All of it. “YOU! You turned them against me, you conniving little—”

I lunged, hands itching for her throat. “You stole Leander! You ruined EVERYTHING, you bitch!”

I didn’t get close. Daddy grabbed my arm, yanking me back. Then—CRACK. His slap hit like a gunshot, my cheek burning as I stumbled, shock rooting me to the spot. He’d never—not once—laid a hand on me.

“One more word,” he whispered, trembling with barely contained fury, “one more outburst, and you’re out of this house. Out of this family. Do you hear me, Charlotte?”

I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe. The room spun.

The doors burst open, and Mom stormed in. “Richard! What the hell is going on? I heard shouting from upstairs!”

She froze, taking in my tear-streaked face and Daddy’s hand still hovering mid-air. Horror flashed across her features.

“Charlotte!” She started toward me, but I was already running, throwing myself into her arms like a scared kid.

“Mommy, help me! I fucked up, I know, but I can fix it! I swear!” I sobbed, clinging to her.

Her body stiffened. She pushed me back, and when I looked up, there was no warmth in her eyes—just exhaustion and a disappointment so sharp it gutted me.

“Charlotte,” Daddy cut in, his voice still raw, “tell your mother what you’ve done. Tell her how you mortgaged our family estate—five generations of Whitmore legacy—for fifty million dollars. For some half-baked scheme with Dorian Ravencroft.”

Mom’s gasp was a knife to my chest. Her eyes widened, then narrowed as she turned to me. “Do you even get what you’ve done wrong, Charlotte?” Her voice was quiet, but it trembled with betrayal.

“I—I shouldn’t have used the power of attorney without asking,” I stammered. “I shouldn’t have invested in Dorian’s company without telling you.”

She shook her head, slow and heavy. “No. Your biggest sin was risking our entire family’s foundation for a man and a fantasy that only exists in your delusional head. You gambled our security for your selfish obsession!”

“The house can be replaced!” I snapped, desperation clawing at me. “We’ve got money! But Leander is mine, and Seraphina needs to disappear!” I pointed at her, venom in my voice. “Dorian promised if I got the cash, he’d help me win Leander back. He said—”

Mom’s bitter laugh sliced through me. “Dorian Ravencroft is playing you like a goddamn fiddle, Charlotte. He’s using you to fight Seraphina, and when he’s done, he’ll toss you out like garbage.”

“NO!” I screamed, voice cracking. “You’re wrong! He needs me!”

“Charlotte,” Leander said coldly, his arm around Seraphina like a shield. I wanted to puke. “Dorian doesn’t need anyone. You’re just a pawn in his fucked-up game.”

“Shut UP!” I shrieked. “None of you get it!”

Mom sank into a chair, looking decades older in an instant. “You’ve disgraced the Whitmore name, Charlotte. You’ve got no limits, no shame. Dorian’s a predator, and your little tricks can’t outsmart him. And Leander…” Her gaze flicked to him. “How could you think he’d want someone who’d sink this low?”

“You don’t understand,” I insisted, voice shaking. “If I don’t help Dorian, he’ll… he’ll…”

Seraphina leaned forward, fake concern on her face. “Charlotte, did Dorian threaten you?”

I shoved her hard, sending her stumbling into Leander’s arms. “Don’t act like you give a shit, you whore! This isn’t about you!”

Mom and Daddy exchanged a loaded look. “Charlotte,” Mom pressed, softer now, “what happened with Dorian?”

“Nothing! Just business!” But the tears wouldn’t stop.

“Tell us the truth,” Daddy barked, fear creeping into his anger. “What does he have on you?”

I broke down, the words tearing out of me, harsh and brutal. “We fucked, alright? He… he taped the whole damn thing. Said if I didn’t cough up the money, he’d blast that video to Leander. To everyone.”

Mom’s gasp was deafening. She crumpled to the floor, and Daddy rushed to her, yelling for a doctor.

I stood frozen, watching the chaos I’d caused. Leander’s disgust burned into me as he held Seraphina tighter.

How did I fuck everything up so bad? I thought, numb. I’d traded my legacy for a lie, my future for a man who saw me as nothing but a tool.

And now, there was no going back. For any of us.