“Alter Eric was discharged from the hospital, he was expelled from school,” Ian sald,

“The Lee family’spany also got caught up in the fallout. Not long after, they went bankrapt and the whole family packed up and Jersey City in disgrace.”

He cleared his threat, lowering his voler. “And Sean? He ended up bin /bfall for a few days. Mr. Jasper Sr. was furious. He gave strict orders to keep him locked up for a

while.

“But Mrs. Jasper St. couldn’t bear it. She went to plead with him bevery /bday, exted until he caved. Eventually, Sean was released, but only after the pipers paid the Lees a sky–high settlement to settle the matter.

“Sean still got a beating from Mr. Jasper St. for it.”

btan /blocked meaningfully at Charlotte.

1,1 had no

Ino clue back bthen /bbthat /bSean beat that guy sp because he liked you. I honestly thought he was just acting like an older brother, standing up for his little sister. It wasn’t until recently I realized that Sean’s feelings for you have been there for a long time.”

Charlotte listened in silence, her expressioplicated. Her fingers tightened around the wine ss until her knuckles tumed white.

She had never imagined Sean had gone that far for her. That he had nearly beaten someone to death.

A wave of Tear washed over het.

What if she had dragged him downb? /b

bSean /bhad always been the golden boy. The perfect son in every parent’s eyes, the top student every teacher praised, the kind of person their peers could only look up to from a distance.

Has future had always been bright. If he had ended up carrying ba /bmanughterclurge because of her, she didn’t think she would ever forgive herself. Charlotte blinked, hershes trembling Hernose started to sting

They didn’t get home bto /bBri

to Brightwood Residences until the middle of the night.

The wind was chilly, the moonlight pale and cold.

Charlotte got out of the car without a wordb, /bhead down, and walked bahead/b.

Sean followed her into theplex.

“Lottie, bdon’t /bbe mad.”

She didn’t respond

When they got to the apartment, bCharlotte /btried to close the door but sean slipped inside, his face full of hurt.

“bAre /bbyou /bafraid of me?”

He scrambled to exin.

“Lottie, please don’t be scared I’m not violent. I’d nevery a hand on you. That day—I just lost it. The things he said about you–i couldn’t take it Charlotte looked up at him,r sigh soft and wra

wraty.

“bl’in /bnot afraid of you, Sean I’mnot worried about being hun. l’in worried about you.”

Seanpressed his lips together, then gently pulled her into jas arms.

*11’s okay. It’s all in the past.

Curlotte frated against him, her eyes stinging bas /bher voice wavered.

“Please don’t be that jackless again. If you’d breally /bkilled someone, your whole future would’ve been ruined… And for what? For me? it’s not worth it” Bran’s worice wanquiel

dutte snacked him in frustration

|_|\_\“Don’t jr about that!”

Seanheld her close, his was bared soothingly stroking her back i

b| /bforting avhild.

“okay, okay I get ii. I won’t bdo /banything like that again.”

She grumbled into his chest, “How many days wear you locked upi?”

“Not many.”

Hervoir trembledb, /btinged with a nasally sob.

“bWas /bit awful? I heard they serve nothing but in saimeal and dry toast in bolding. You’re not used to food like that.”

Sean chuckded.

“I wasn’t. But I figured it was a bgood /bexcuse to lose a little well.

Charlotte sniffled, then let out a smallugh through her tears.

“byou’re /bnot even fat. What are you trying to lose? bYou’re /bjust trying to mess with bme/b, aren’t you?“.

“Alright, alright. Let’s stop talking about it, yeah?”

Charlotte looked up at him with red–rimmed eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this, Sean?

“I didn’t want you carrying am guilt. Everything I did, I chose to. It had nothing bto /bdo with you”

Charlotte’s nose stung, and a tear welled up on hershes before slowly slipping down her cheek

Asean gently capped her face in his hands, his thumb brushing the btear /bbaway/b.

“Hey why are you cryingb? /b

“Don’t cry, Lottie. When you cry, it breaks my heart too.”

Then he leaned down band /bsoftly kissed the tears bfrom /bher cheeks

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