CHAPTER 176: WHEN SHE LEAST EXPECTED.

Charles and Freda chatted for a while, laughter slipping between their words as Freda kept pressing him to spill the identity of the lucky man but Charles stayed tight-lipped, dodging every attempt with a playful smirk and a shake of his head.

Eventually, their heartwarming conversation came to an end, and they went their separate ways.

Freda had to meet up with two other cleaning staff members—today’s assignment was scrubbing down the company bathrooms.

"Pfttt!"

Freda groaned at the thought but still flashed Charles a wink before heading off.

Meanwhile, Charles’s duty remained the same—cleaning CEO Augustine’s office.

It had been assigned to him months ago, back when he’d boldly told Augustine he no longer wanted to work for the company. That very same day, Augustine had handed him a marriage contract proposal.

Sigh!

Presently, Charles slowly made his way to Augustine’s office.

As Charles opened the door, he froze—stunned to find his lover deeply engrossed in the very meal he had brought for him.

Augustine, noticing the door swing open, lifted his gaze from the food.

The moment his eyes met Charles’s, a smile tugged at his lips.

Charles smiled back, shutting the office door behind him as he slowly closed the distance between them.

"Hey," he purred the moment he reached Augustine’s desk. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice warm and soothing.

Augustine gave a short nod. "I’m just drained... the stress from yesterday hasn’t worn off." His voice was low, the weight in it undeniable.

Charles leaned in slightly, biting his upper lip. "Alright... I’ll go grab my cleaning supplies so I can get started on your office," he whispered. "So... I have to go for now."

Before he could turn, Augustine stood abruptly, the chair sliding back with a soft scrape.

He moved around the desk in long, purposeful strides, stopping just inches from Charles—close enough that Charles could feel the heat radiating from his body.

As Augustine stood beside Charles, he sighed, his shoulders slumping with visible exhaustion. "Aren’t you going to ask about what happened between I and Aubrey?" he asked softly, his voice laced with unspoken tension.

Following Augustine’s words, he reaches out to grab the hand of Charles, their fingers intertwining before his thumb began to gently stroke the back of it in slow, calming circles.

Charles didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he held Augustine’s gaze—deep, unwavering—as though trying to read the truth buried behind his tired eyes, searching for something unspoken between them.

A second later, Charles let out a deep breath. "I don’t want you feeling pressured to explain anything right now," he said gently. "We can always talk about it when we get home."

Augustine nodded slowly, his eyes softening. "I... I just want to get it off my chest, Pookie," he murmured, his voice low and laced with emotion. "I just feel like talking to someone."

"Babe... you can talk to me." Charles purred with a tender voice, his gaze never leaving Augustine’s. "I’m always here for you with my ears and heart wide open." He whispered.

Augustine sigh!

He rested his butt on the edge of his office table, withdrawing his hands from Charles before shifting his gaze toward the locked door of his office.

"Yesterday, when I went to visit my parents," Augustine began, his voice laced with frustration, "as usual, my mom insisted I leave you. She even said she’s found a nice girl for me—someone who isn’t from a wealthy background, but apparently, she’s wife material."

Hearing Augustine’s words, a sharp sting pierced through Charles’s chest, and his knees weakened beneath the weight of heartbreak.

It felt as though his heart was seconds away from shattering into countless fragile pieces.

Still, with every ounce of strength he had, Charles forced a faint smile onto his lips and shifted closer, resting his own weight on the edge of the table.

Charles turned his face slightly, stealing a side glance at Augustine, his eyes hiding more than he was ready to say.

"Pfttt!" Augustine breathed out in exhaustion.

He exhaled deeply, his jaw tightening as he kept his gaze fixed on the office door. "After trying to convince my mom that I don’t want a wife because I already have a husband—she still wouldn’t budge. I got so mad, I stormed out and was ready to come back home to you... but then she dropped a new on me."

"What... what kind of news?" Charles asked, his brows lifting in worry, voice barely a whisper.

"My mom handed me a picture—one taken the day I launched my new clothing line. In it, Aubrey was caught having a shady conversation with some guy. Our CCTV camera picked it up—clear as day. The photo showed her slipping money to a guy who’s known as an hacker."

Charles eyes lit up in utter surprise.

"That guy... he’s the one who hacked into the event projector. He’s the reason that photo of us kissing on the street got exposed to the entire world."

Augustine’s voice dropped to a bitter whisper as he continued his explanation. "Aubrey planned the whole thing."

"What the hell!" Charles gasped, jumping off the edge of the office table. "Why would she do something so insane?"

Augustine scoffed, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "Isn’t it obvious? Aubrey’s twisted enough to believe that if she can’t have me, then no one else should."

He slid his hands deep into his trouser pockets, jaw tightening. "And it gets worse. My mom traced how she got that picture—it turns out she hired a professional photographer to stalk us, to secretly capture that moment of us kissing."

Charles was completely speechless, his eyes wide with disbelief.

He swallowed hard.

"So can’t you sue her for harassment? Defamation? Or even intrusion of privacy?"

Augustine let out a low scoff, a faint chuckle slipping through his lips. "I can’t sue her for all that, but I can sue her for invasion of privacy," he muttered, his gaze narrowing. "Still, I won’t... at least not yet."

"H-huh?"

"I won’t sue her until she least expects it," Augustine seethed, his voice dripping with fury as his eyes blazed with a dangerous intensity, because the mere thought of Aubrey’s betrayal was enough to ignite his wrath. "When she least expect, I’ll make her crumble for ever trying to mess with me."