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“Mr. Carter, the Kingsleys are here to see you.”
Charles straightened up and adjusted his expression. “Let them in.”
Janet and Dante walked through the door, and Charles greeted them with a polite smile.
“Well, what a surprise,” he said warmly, walking forward to shake their hands. “Janet.”
“Mr. Carter,” Dante greeted with a firm voice, extending his hand. The two men shook hands.
Janet stood proudly beside Dante, her eyes darting between Charles and him. She noticed the way Charles looked at Dante and cleared her throat delicately.
"How are you, Charles? You said Annie’s been sick, so I wanted to stop by. A girl without a mother needs someone to be there for her when she's unwell."
“She’s fine,” Charles replied with a tight nod, motioning toward the couches. “Come, take a seat.”
"Oh, don’t treat me like a guest now. We’re family," Janet quickly waved her hand, walking over to the couch and taking a seat. But then her eyes caught something.
A sweater.
Lying carelessly thrown on the side of the couch. Her eyes narrowed.
It was the same sweater Anya had worn the day Janet had kicked her out.
‘No... what am I thinking?’ she quickly brushed the thought away, shaking her head. ‘That girl couldn’t have anything to do with Charles. She can’t be Annie. That’s just not possible. I threw her out myself. She’s probably sleeping on the streets by now.’
She plastered a bright smile across her face and asked cheerfully, “Where’s Annie? Is she feeling better? Why don’t you call her down? Dante is here too. It’ll be the perfect reunion!”
Charles’ expression dimmed slightly as he shook his head. “Sorry, she can’t meet anyone today,” he said regretfully. “She has a skin condition. It’s contagious. No one, not even our own family, is going near her. We’re making sure she recovers as soon as possible.”
Janet’s smile faltered. She had come all this way just to show Annie how successful and wealthy they were—to prove they were worthy of being in her life. But now her plan was falling apart.
“Is that so...” she mumbled. Then, as if suddenly inspired, she looked up with forced enthusiasm. “Actually, I just remembered! I know a world-class dermatologist. He’s treated thousands of patients. If it’s a skin condition, he can cure her in no time!”
Already standing, she added quickly, “Why don’t you ask her to come downstairs? I’ll take her to see the doctor myself. I promise I’ll take excellent care of her.”
Charles stood too, lifting a hand in polite refusal. "That won’t be necessary, Janet. We’ve already flown in a specialist from Paris. The best in the field. But thank you for your offer—I know you mean well."
“Oh…” Janet’s disappointment deepened. Her eyes shimmered with frustration, though she tried to mask it with a weak smile. She turned to Dante, who stood calmly near the couch.
“You two have obviously met before during business, but let me introduce you formally—Charles, this is my son, Dante.”
“I know,” Charles said with a small smile, nodding toward Dante.
Dante nodded back respectfully. The two had crossed paths many times at business events, each aware of the other’s backgrounds.
Janet beamed proudly, clinging to Dante’s arm. "Then you must know how successful he is. We just opened another branch in Switzerland. It was a tough market to crack, but now it's going to be one of the biggest tech companies there. And not a single scandal to his name. He’s so focused on work, he hardly ever takes a break."
Charles nodded in agreement. “I know. Dante is extremely talented. He even handles my company’s tech and data operations. He’s one of the most trusted names in the industry right now.”
Janet leaned in slightly, her tone turning more persuasive. “So… what do you think about Dante and Annie?” she asked. “Don’t you think they’d make a great match?”
Charles gave a thoughtful smile, then answered honestly. “Dante is a good man. I’ve seen him grow up. But the decision about marriage is entirely up to Annie. If she agrees, we’ll talk. If not, then there’s no point in forcing anything.”
“Of course!” Janet jumped in excitedly. "Maybe we can arrange a meeting for them again? Just the two of them, to talk and see if they click. Honestly, I already feel like they’re a perfect match."
Charles simply gave her a polite smile.
Janet tilted her head. "Ah—she doesn’t already have a boyfriend, does she?" she asked casually, trying to gauge his reaction.