Chapter 2 - THE LETTER
Sebastian didn’t let go for almost a minute.
Charlotte stood stiffly in his arms.
She didn’t know what she was supposed to feel.
Relief?
Anger?
Love?
She had spent twenty-four years believing Sebastian Valle wanted nothing to do with her.
Now he was holding her like she had returned from the dead.
Finally, Charlotte stepped back.
“You knew I was coming?”
“I sent the invitation.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
Sebastian looked around the lobby.
“We’re not having this conversation here.”
His gaze moved to Margaret.
“And someone owes you an apology.”
Margaret’s face hardened.
“I had no idea who she was.”
Charlotte laughed once.
“You didn’t ask.”
“You were behaving suspiciously.”
“I was standing near an elevator.”
“You refused to leave.”
“Because I was invited.”
Margaret looked at Sebastian.
“Sebastian, this girl could be anyone.”
“This girl has a name.”
His voice cut across the lobby.
“Use it.”
Margaret said nothing.
Sebastian turned to Daniel.
“Bring Charlotte’s things upstairs.”
Charlotte quickly bent down.
“I’ve got them.”
She grabbed the black notebook first.
Then froze.
It wasn’t there.
She checked beneath the envelope.
Under her sweater.
Around Daniel’s shoes.
“Wait.”
Daniel frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“My notebook.”
Several guests had moved away.
Security guards were standing nearby.
One of them shrugged.
“I saw one.”
“It was right here.”
Charlotte searched faster.
Her pulse jumped.
That notebook had belonged to her mother.
Not because Olivia had written in it.
Because she had hidden something inside it.
Sebastian noticed Charlotte’s panic.
“What was in the notebook?”
“Nothing.”
Too fast.
Sebastian knew it.
So did Margaret.
Charlotte shoved the invitation into her bag.
“I want to go upstairs.”
Sebastian led her to the private elevator himself.
Margaret tried to follow.
Sebastian raised one hand.
“Not you.”
Her face tightened.
“Excuse me?”
“I said not you.”
The elevator doors closed between them.
Inside, Sebastian looked suddenly older.
“You look like Olivia.”
Charlotte stared at the floor numbers.
“My mother hated when people said that.”
He almost smiled.
“She hated everything I said.”
“That’s probably because you stopped speaking to her.”
The smile disappeared.
“I made mistakes.”
Charlotte looked at him.
“Mistakes?”
Her voice shook now.
“My mother died thinking her own father wanted her erased.”
Sebastian flinched.
“I never wanted that.”
“She told me you did.”
The elevator reached the penthouse.
Sebastian opened the door to a massive living room overlooking Manhattan.
Charlotte barely looked at it.
She opened her bag.
Pulled out the old envelope.
It had been sealed until three days earlier.
“My mother told me to open this only if I ever heard from you.”
Sebastian stared at it.
Charlotte removed one folded sheet of paper.
“She wrote it six years ago.”
“Charlotte—”
“Read the last line.”
He took the letter.
His eyes moved down the page.
Then stopped.
The color drained from his face.
Charlotte already knew the words by heart.
If Sebastian ever tries to bring you home, go.
But Charlotte—
do not trust Margaret Wren.
Sebastian slowly lifted his eyes.
Before he could speak, Daniel appeared in the doorway.
His breathing was heavy.
“Mr. Valle.”
Sebastian turned.
Daniel held up a small piece of black leather.
Torn from Charlotte’s notebook.
“We found this beside the service elevator.”
Charlotte’s stomach dropped.
May you like
Daniel continued.
“Someone stole it.”
