JAMESON'S POV
Mr Schnapp sat up when he saw the screen. I heard Charlotte's breath hitch beside me. I tried to look for signs it wasn't real and probably just an arrangement, but I did not find any. The bastard really had Charlotte's sister on a roof. Oh, when I was done with him....
"What are you doing, girl?" Charlotte's father bellowed.
"Tati baby, don't do this. Please" Brandon's voice said soothingly, the camera moved slowly towards her.
"Where's my father?" she asked, not looking at him.
"He's here. Tell her he's here". Charlotte breathed.
"I've got him here with me, Tati. We're on video call".
"She finally looked at him. "He couldn't come to me? Really?" She dropped her hands. "I know he does not love me that much. He's always loved Charlotte more. Gentle sweet Charlotte. Daddy's girl. Always getting everything she wants".
"That's not true" Charlotte whispered.
Her sister did not hear her. "But not everyone is blind, like Dad. Some people actually see the worth in me, and they know I'm better than Charlotte. Brandon loves me more than Charlotte, and he wants me. I love him too. Why can I never have what I want. Why?" She threw a hand out and she swayed, nearly falling. Charlotte covered her mouth.
"Tati, you are special". Brandon's voice broke. "You're special to your father, and you're special to me too. I love you so much, Tati. Step away. You'll hurt yourself".
"I won't, until Dad promises to leave Brandon and Star Trusts alone. Leave us in peace, we deserve it". She wiped her eyes.
"Tatiana" Brandon's voice said. I clenched my hands. The bastard.
"That's what she wants, eh?" Mr Schnapps said. He sounded grave. "All right then. I'll leave you alone. Now tell her to get away from that edge".
"He's agreed, baby. It's over" The relief in Brandon's voice was evident. The call ended. Charlotte dropped the phone and cradled her head with her hands. I straightened, studying them.
"Just so we're on the same page", I couldn't take it anymore, "We all know that was staged, right? They planned it".
Father and daughter stared at me with similar blank looks. I shrugged. "It was obvious".
"I only gave in because anything could happen. It was indeed obvious". Mr Schnapp said after a while. Charlotte looked at her dad. She rose and brushed past me. She left the room. Her father and I listened to her footsteps walk rapidly away.
"So we have to go with your plan" Mr Schnapp said, reclining in his chair.
I restrained from raising my brows in surprise. I did not think he'd come around. I planned to execute it, with or without his consent. "If you want to, sir".
"You're a lawyer at Madison's and Madison's, you said?"
I nodded.
"The CEO is an acquaintance of mine. Interesting woman". He toyed with a paper clip on his desk.
I said nothing. I couldn't tell if it was a veiled threat.
"What do you want with my daughter?" He asked, staring at me.
Definitely a threat then. "Charlotte and I met the night Brandon divorced her, sir. We went to the same high school". I neglected to mention that I bullied her too. I also maglected to mention the details of our meeting .
"The same high school? I see" he paused again. "But you haven't answered my question".
"I want the best for her, sir. She needs a friend". I hoped that was the right answer.
He looked dubious. "I do hope you know what a precarious situation you're in. My daughter will not be harmed again".
"Yes sir"
"Technically, I do not have a hold on Star Trusts, as I hold no shares. But I do have a hold on the company". He flashed a grin. "As a matter of fact, I have significant connections with the company he is currently trying to strike a deal with, Xhing construction limited. I think we should start from there".
"Prevent the deal sir?"
"Prevent it? Facilitate it. Make it the best and the last".
I was trying to follow him. "Okay..."
Mr Schnapps grinned again. I was starting to understand how he was on ene of the richest and most influential men in the city, with a clean record. "Tell me your plan again, son", He said, "Then I'll tell you mine, and we'll compare notes".
CHARLOTTE'S POV
I'd known since Brandon cheated on me that he was a cruel being, but it'd never dawned on me how cruel he was. I replayed Tatiana swaying at the edge of the roof over and over again, and tears streamed from my eyes. I felt heartbroken all over again. How did I love him? Why did it still hurt that Tatiana would want to jump off a roof for him? Why did I never see through his deception, or through the lies he'd been feeding me during our marriage? And how long would it take before the crushing feeling in my chest went away?
"Charlotte?" Jameson opened my room door slowly. "Are you all right?" He closed the door behind him, but he did not come closer. I didn't reply. I sat on my bed, my knees up to my chest and my arms tight around myself. I was staring out my window.
He sighed. He took off his shoes and climbed on the bed. He sat a little away from me, and crossed his legs. "You can talk to me, Charlotte" he said. I loved the sound of his voice. It was soothing. I didn't remember it always being like that. "Charlotte", he urged when I did not say anything.
I sniffed, wiping my eyes. "It just hurts. It hurts". I tried to think of more words to explain why, but none came. "It hurts". My shoulders sagged, and the tears resumed again.
"Come here". He said. He moved closer, and I collapsed into him, sobbing. He rubbed my hair softly. "It'll get better, I promise".
We were like that for a while, and I eventually got myself. I reluctantly withdrew from him. "What's going to happen now?"
"Star Trusts is trying to close a deal with a Chinese construction company. We're going to make sure the deal's closed, and it's his last".
That didn't sound very vengeful. "How?"
"Through that deal, we're going to get into his company, and we're going to sabotage every important thing we can lay hands on. We plan to bring it down from the inside".
Now that sounded vengeful. "Okay. There's still the question of how".
"I'll give you the details. Over a plate of good food". He raised a brow.
I rolled my eyes. "Such a foodie". I couldn't stop the smile. "How are you not fat?"
He shrugged. "Good question. Jer was always the fat one. No matter how much I ate, it just didn't happen".
I remembered his chubby doe eyed brother. "Jeremy. Where is he now?" Jameson's face turned blank, and he cleared his throat. My heart dropped. "Is-did I say something wrong?"
"Just ah...well, Jeremy died three years ago. Hiking accident". He looked away.
"Oh! I'm so sorry." I took his hand. "I-I'm sorry".
He smiled and shook his head gently. "Nah, it's okay. I-we're better now"
"Why did you suddenly become this nice?" I said, changing the topic. "In our final year you threw paper balls at me in math class and left a dead mouse in my locker".
He cringed. "I did not leave the dead mouse. But I know who did". He shrugged.
"Really? So what changed you?" I asked, smiling at him.
"I grew up. College and law school taught me a lot. And Jer's death refined what was left". He smiled softly.
Fuck. I really tried to change the topic. "I'm sorry". I muttered.
He suddenly reached out, tucking stray strands of hair behind my ear. Our eyes met, and his hands lingered, tracing the shell of my ear. "I've always liked the colour of your hair". He said, finally sitting back.
I touched it self consciously. "It's boring black".
He raised a brow. "I don't pick interests in boring things".
"Okay". I muttered, tucking the hair in properly. My stomach growled loudly.
"About that food" he smirked.
"Yeah, I'll make something". I climbed off the bed.
"Charlotte?"
I turned back to him.
"I don't think there's anything about you that is boring". He smiled again.
I left the room before he could see my burning cheeks.
**
"Dad?" I edges slowly into his study with my peace offering, a tray of his favourite sandwiches and a glass of lemon juice. My dad always spent more time in his study than in his room. But he always made time for us, he was at all my baseball games and my sister's piano perfomances. He was the very definition of a super dad. Tati and I were lucky to have him. He never made us feel like our mother was dead. He screened all our housekeepers himself, and fired them as soon as they made us feel uncomfortable. The last one I left with him, Carla, was nowhere in the house and I wanted to ask him what had happened. I dropped the tray on his organised desk. "Dad?" Maybe he wasn't in the study. But the cook said he was. I moved towards the restroom. I could hear running water, and I turned away to wait. But something felt off. "Dad?" He did not answer. I called again. I walked to the door, and hesitated. Then I turned the handle. "Dad?" The restroom was bigger than I thought. I saw the tap running, but there was no one around it. My apprehension increased. "Dad? Are you here?" I moved to closed the door behind me, then I saw him on the floor on his side. "Oh my God". I ran to him. "Dad!". I took his hand. It was very cold. I put my forefinger against his pulse. There was nothing.
I screamed as loud as I could.