Jack's POV
I could see the sadness in Charlotte's eyes; I love Cecily for her made-up stories about her having a thing for me. She is beautiful, and I am sure Charlotte bought her lies. But I hoped she was right; she made Hunter's sister jealous. I could play with Cecily's game to make sure Charlotte would be mine, but seeing her in pain made me feel uneasy.
I never felt this happy for a long time because after Madeline got married, I was miserable.
I made Gina my girlfriend to be closer to Maddie, and it was a big mistake. I should not have used Madeline's best friend to heal my wounds; in the end, I hurt Gina. I am delighted that she accepted the fact that we couldn't be together.
I liked Madeline's best friend, and I loved her in my own way. She was an incredible woman, but I couldn't marry her since I didn't love her enough. I needed to let her go, and I hoped Gina would find the perfect man for her. I wished her to have a happy life ahead of her, and I wished she would forgive me.
I was going to fetch my lady boss and tell her breakfast was ready, but I met her in the hallway, looking so fresh and hot without makeup. She looked so lovely in her mini dress that hugged her body perfectly. And I could see the uncertainties on her face that she was trying to hide.
How can I tell her this was what I signed for, but I couldn't tell her I was under contract? Charlotte would hate me if she learned about it, but everyone who knew about the setup signed an NDA. She will never find out about it unless I will tell her everything.
I felt guilty that I was hiding something from her, but my feelings for Charlotte were real. Falling for her was not part of the plan; her brother asked me to make her fall in love with me, and not the other way around.
"Wow, you looked beautiful, princess," I said as I ceased from walking and towered over her. She blushed right away as she tried to avert my gaze.
"Thank you, Jack," she responded.
I liked Cecily, but I wouldn't say I liked the idea that she came too early. I wanted to be alone with Charlotte, but I needed my friend's help to win over this feisty woman I was falling in love with.
Cecily was right, Charlotte was jealous, but she tried to hide it from us. I could see how her face turned sour every time Cecily tried to flirt with me, and she was doing it perfectly. If she didn't tell me about her plans, I am sure I would believe her.
I had been honest with Charlotte about my feelings for her, but she rejected me many times, and I felt glad Cecily was here to boost my confidence. I don't want to have fun at my girl's expense, but I love how jealous she was.
Cecily proved her point, and I am starting to believe Hunter's sister was really into me. I didn't want to make Charlotte uncomfortable about this situation, but I was enjoying every moment.
I knew she wasn't the kind of woman who would chase a man. Charlotte Divenson's ego is higher than the mountains of Barcelonia.
I could see a scowl on Charlotte's face out of the corner of my eye, but when I turned my head and looked at her, she was staring at me with a half smile on her lips, and how I wished to be alone with her and captured her lips and kissed her until her lips got swollen.
"Oh, that is great, Jack. Your presentation looked doable, but without money, I don't think we can start this business. There are still many things to buy, and we must renovate." Charlotte said after I presented my ideas.
"Hey, I told you, I am willing to invest. don't worry about the finances; I will take care of everything." I answered, and she weakly smiled at me. I know she didn't want to have any debt of gratitude from me, but she doesn't have a choice.
"Thank you, Jack, I appreciate everything," she answered.
We got busy the following day, but sleeping in her house every night made me feel happy and relaxed. I cooked her food from breakfast to dinner, and she was enjoying herself except for the time Cecily joined us in the dining hall.
Charlotte would turn silent every time Cecily was dining with us.
"Do you want to come with me to the capital and buy some of the amenities?" I asked Charlotte one morning after we had eaten our breakfast.
"I don't know, Jack, I need to finish something," Charlotte answered without looking at my face.
"Well, I think I have to ask Cecily if she is free to go with me," I answered, and her face turned sour in an instant, but she tried to hide it with a beautiful smile.
"Maybe she is free," she softly answered.
"See you later," I replied.
"Yeah, see you; thank you for the delicious breakfast as always; it felt like I was back to the Divenson mansion." She responded, and I couldn't stop from beaming at her.
"It would be my pleasure. I am glad you loved my menu." I stated.
"Are you kidding me? You are greater than any of the chefs my mom hired in our mansion." Charlotte said.
"Thank you, it means a lot to me coming from you. You are a Divenson, and I knew you grew up in luxury, including having the privilege of having your own chefs that came from different countries, and your compliment made me want to believe I am a great chef." I answered, and her face softened.
"Come on, you are too humble, Jack. Of course, you are among the best chefs I have ever met." She said as she smiled at me, and I wished to lean down and capture her sweet lips.
I don't want to make things complicated at the moment, but I am so tempted to play her hair with my fingers and cup her lovely face as I stare at her beautiful eyes.
"Hmm, breakfast is ready. You should try everything I cook for you, and you will decide if I am really a good chef." I replied, and she beamed at me.
"I don't need to do that, and I will not be eating alone." She declared as she walked ahead of me.
The days passed in a blur, and I never felt so alive as I worked with Charlotte and Cecily. We contacted the previous staff of the manor to be her employees since Charlotte didn't know them.
Charlotte had never paid attention to all the household staff before, and she had no idea they were all working for her family for a long time. She thought she had hired new employees from Barcelonia. She had no idea they were living near her estate.
She differed from Hunter and Lily, who always found time to chat and spend time with the maids.
"Wow, I never expected we would be ready for our soft opening this fast," Charlotte said as we ate dinner.
"You worked harder every day," I responded.
"I wasn't the only one who did the work, thank you guys." She said as she looked around the table. It was my idea to have dinner with her newly hired employees.
"Thank you, Miss Charlotte, for this wonderful opportunity you have given us," Carlo said; he was one of the Housekeeping staff.
"You are welcome; it is my pleasure to have you here with me," Charlotte replied with a genuine smile on her face.
"I couldn't believe my brother would be my first guest and he would be here tomorrow," She said as she looked at me with a worried expression on her face. We were alone on the back porch facing the swimming pool, drinking wine.
"You should be happy and excited; why do you look like that?" I asked after I drank my wine in one gulp.
"I am just anxious about what would be his reaction. I don't hate him now. I mean, we had a misunderstanding, and I hated my brother, and I blamed him for something. I conceded, and I understood now that everything he did was for my own good." She responded.
"I want to impress him. I had been jealous of Hunter growing up, and I knew I was wrong back then. I just wished he would give me another chance to prove my worth." Charlotte added, and I smiled. I never expected to hear it from her mouth. The old Charlotte would never admit she was wrong.
If she continues to act this way, I am sure I will be at her mercy since I can no longer stop my heart and mind from loving her.
I am sure Charlotte was talking about being cut off from everything, and she couldn't talk about it with me because of her ego. I couldn't stop staring at her beautiful face as I realized she had changed.
She no longer wears those fancy heels, and she has stopped talking about shopping for expensive bags, dresses, and perfume. Charlotte is enjoying her simple life in Barcelonia, so distinct from her previous way of living, and I found myself more enthralled by her.
I sent Charlotte to her room after we called it a night, and I didn't want to leave her, but we have a guest tomorrow, and it would be my boss. I found it hard to sleep since I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen tomorrow, but I must face Hunter and let him know everything, including my desire to have his sister as my girlfriend.
Visit freewe𝑏nove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺 for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience