bChapter /bb68 /b

bTears /bwelled up in Charlotte’s eyes, and Hiram was binstantly thrown /bboff/b. b“/bSis wait–why are you crying?” He had no idea how tofort a woman, let balone /bbhis /b

“Hey, don’t cryb, okay/bb? /bI’m bnot /bbmad /b

own sister. But seeing her cry softened his honot upset, really.

anymore. I’ll listen to you from now on, I swear. I’m not upset, really.”

Charlotte couldn’t help butugh through her tears. She grabbed his hand band /bslipped the watch onto his wrist. “I’m just moved, that’s all. The hotheaded blittle /bbboy /bI knew has really grown up.”

Hiram huffed, “I’m twenty–one, you know. I’m not a kid anymore.”

She just smiled at him, saying nothing.

***

Meanwhile, Genevieve marched straight into Evander’s office building. She didn’t even wait for Natalie to announce her; she barged right in. “Evander!”

Evander was deep in conversation with several foreign businessmen when she burst through the door. Every pair of eyes in the roomnded on her.

Annoyance flickered across Evander’s face.

That’s when Genevieve realized just how out of line she’d been.

Natalie rushed in behind her, flustered. “I’m so sorry–I’ll take Miss Howard out right

away.”

She ushered Genevieve to the reception lounge and made her wait a full half hour before Evander finally showed up.

Genevieve jumped to her feet, eyes red with frustration. “Evander, you have to stand up for me!”

“I ran into Charlotte at the hospital today. I just said a couple of things to her, and then her brute of a brother actually hit me! And Charlotte just kept using Grandma as leverage against me. It’s infuriating!”

“Are you finished?” Evander shot her a bored nce, then wandered over to the couch and sat down.

Genevieve faltered, but pressed on, “Evander, I was bullied by the Sterlings today!”

“What have I told you?” Evander picked up his mug, brushing the lid bwith /bbhis /bbthumb/b. “No matter what, she’s still your sister–inw. And you made a scene at the

b09:49 /b

bhospital/bb–/bbdo /bbyou /bbreally /bbthink /bbyou’re /bbin /bbthe /bbright/bb?/b”

bShe /bbstared /bat him, incredulous. “You’re taking her bside /bbnow/bb? /bbSince /bbwhen /bhave you? bever /bdefended herb?/b”

He met her gaze, his tone turning icy. “You think I don’t know what byou /bbdid /bbat /bGrandma’s birthday party?”

Genevieve froze. She looked away instinctively. “I–I don’t know what you bmean/b.

“Do I need to spell out what you did with the drugs?”

Genevieve was the only one in the Howard family who’d dare pull something like that. If Charlotte wanted to use such tactics, she would have long ago.

Genevieve’s legs gave out and she sank to the floor in front of him, looking bup /bbwith /btearful, pleading eyes. “Evander, I didn’t mean it. I just can’t stand her. I wanted byou /bto drive her out…”

He leaned back, not even looking at her. “Whatever happens between me and Charlotte is none of your business. Stop meddling.”

Genevieve stared at him, stunned. All those times she’d bullied Charlotte in front of him–had he ever said a word to stop her? Never. Now that Tricia was back in town, he should be thrilled, eager to send Charlotte packing. So why was he defending

her?

Evander’s cold dismissal left no room for argument. Natalie returned to pull her to her feet and quietly led her away.

Genevieve was still in a daze, unable to make sense of any of it.

***

That evening, Charlotte didn’t rush home. Instead, she took Hiram to a nice restaurant for dinner.

“Sis, you used to hate spending money on ces like this,” Hiram said, ncing around at the elegant surroundings. “A single meal here costs more than a month’s rent. Even after you married Evander, you never treated yourself.”

Charlotte twirled her pasta with a fork, her tone calm. “Sometimes you have to spend when it counts. Besides, tomorrow’s your birthday.”

e, worried Back when she’d first married Evander, she’d been afraid to spend a he’d think she was wasting his money. For six years, she quietly saved whatever she could. By nowi, /ishe’d put away enough to buy an apartment in Riverspire bCity /b

b09:49 /b

bHiram /bbgave /bbher /bba /bblong/bb, /bbsearching /bblook/b. b“/bbYou’ve /bbchanged/bb, /bSis: For a mo

bas /bif bthe /bbwoman /bbin /bbfront /bbof /bhim wasn’t bthe /bsister bhe’d /bbalways /bbknown /b

b“/bbIsn’t /bbthere /bban /bold saying? Women change the most when bthey /bbgrow /bbup/bb, /bbI /bguess ve changed seventy–two times by now.” She lifted her ss bof /bbjuice /bbin /bba /bbmock /btoast and took a sip.

Hiram grinned. “I believe it.”

“Charlotte?”

She paused, fork halfway to her mouth, and looked up. Jonathan was bwalking /btoward them from across the room.