Chapter 27 Don't You Trust Me?

Lorna's eyes darted fearfully to the area under her office desk where, unmistakably, the broken scissors were recovered. The officer spoke to them, "Getting the results will take a bit of time. Let's wrap this up tomorrow." Luke responded with a polite nod. "Sure, appreciate your help." Yet, Lorna wasn't ready to back down. "Luke, don't you trust me?" Without turning, Luke replied, "Don't call me Luke. I trust only facts." He then took Charlotte's hand and they left together. Lorna watched them go, seething with jealousy. She thought bitterly about how Charlotte, who had only been at the company for a mere two months, had already grown so close to Luke. In her mind, she vowed to make Charlotte pay. Charlotte hesitated to hold his hand, aware of the crowd of co-workers drawn by the commotion. Nonetheless, Luke held her hand, unfazed by the onlookers. Some colleagues approached Lorna, trying to console her. "Don't worry too much. Since you know she entered your office, you're clear." Another colleague agreed, "Yeah, it must be her doing." Shaking with fear, Lorna left her office in a daze and drove out of the underground garage. She parked on the side of the road and called her brother, Caelan. Caelan was livid. "How could you do this? I'm so let down. Luke is my best friend. Didn't you think about me?" Lorna had thought Caelan would support her, but he was furious after hearing what happened. "Go and apologize to him now, or I'm done calling you my sister." After the call ended, Lorna leaned on her steering wheel, crying loudly. She regretted how things had escalated. Her intention had only been to lead people to misunderstand Charlotte, but it had all backfired. In her mind, she blamed Charlotte for everything. Despite Caelan's ultimatum, Lorna was too afraid to apologize, hoping somehow luck would be on her side. Back at home, Luke and Charlotte found Lilya and Andy still immersed in lessons with Carol. In the study, Charlotte didn't bring up Lorna's antics. "You really trust me that much? Aren't you worried I might steal your company's secrets?" With a warm smile, Luke wrapped her in his arms. "You're my everything, I have no reason to worry about that." Her laughter filled the room. "That's not always a given, you know." Luke soothed her, patting her back gently. "I won't let anything bad happen to you, promise." Charlotte gazed up at him. "It's not about bad things happening. I just feel guilty for always causing you trouble." Luke comforted her. "It's not trouble. I knew she was the culprit even without investigating." "Thank you for believing in me so completely." Luke's trust in Charlotte wasn't without its moments of doubt. When he first heard about the stolen company files, a wave of anxiety hit him. He worried that Charlotte, the woman he was falling for, could be a spy sent by a competitor. But as Lorna's panic escalated, the truth became apparent, leading Luke to apologize. "Sorry, in my position, it's hard not to overthink. When I heard it involved you, I had my doubts, concerned you might be working for another company." Charlotte totally understood his perspective. "You don't need to apologize. I would have thought the same in your place." "It's great having you here with me." Charlotte hugged him back. "I feel the same way." As they were enjoying their moment, Charlotte's phone chimed with a deposit notification. She checked the amount and was surprised. "Wow, I didn't think Frank would actually agree." Luke nodded. "He didn't hesitate when I spoke to him. Maybe we should have asked for more." Charlotte grinned at him. "You're a true businessman, aren't you?" Luke affectionately stroked Charlotte's hair. "I bet if you were handling the negotiations, you'd think the same way." After all, everyone had a soft spot for money. As dinner time neared, Carol was just finishing up the day's lessons. Andy and Lilya, seeing the car in the driveway, realized their mother had returned. Lilya excitedly shouted for Charlotte, trying to lure her outside. "The kids have finished their lessons. How about we go out and see them?" Luke remained silent, his embrace not loosening. He then leaned down, giving Charlotte a soft kiss, and looked at her with a triumphant smile. "You're so sneaky!" "I'm just being honest." Charlotte's heart skipped a beat, a feeling reminiscent of first love. To her surprise, falling in love again at this stage in life could still be so thrilling. "Should we go outside?" Charlotte's cheeks flushed and looked extremely cute. Luke took his time, leaning in for another deep kiss, leaving them both gasping for air. As he finally let go, Charlotte quickly slipped out of his arms and headed outside, with Luke following her. Lilya's innocent eyes fixated on Charlotte's smudged lipstick. "Mommy, did you eat some chocolate?" Charlotte was puzzled. "Why do you think that?" Then Andy chimed in, "Your lipstick is all messed up, Mommy." Realizing the situation, Charlotte hastily put Lilya down and hurried to the bathroom to check herself. Her lipstick was indeed smeared. She quickly tidied up and went back to see Luke playing with the kids. Feigning annoyance, she sat down. "Why didn't you tell me?" Luke chuckled. "I thought you looked adorable." "I'm not talking to you." She turned to help in the kitchen. Luke, mistaking her jest for genuine upset, quickly excused himself from Andy. "You guys play. I'll be right back." Andy admired his father's dedication to making his mother happy, a reassuring sign that she wouldn't be wronged again. Lilya, calling out to Andy twice without response, finally tugged at his arm. "I want that, Andy." Jolted from his thoughts, Andy handed Lilya the toy she wanted.