Chapter 101

• Howard pushed through the heavy oak door of his private study, the mansion's wing silent under midnight hush—leather-bound books lining walls, a single desk lamp casting long shadows over polished mahogany. He collapsed into the high-backed chair, running hands through damp hair, alone with churning confusion. What the hell is this pull toward her? Charlotte's stoic fire and unafraid gaze gnawed at him, awakening feelings he'd buried deep.
• His mind dragged him back to Vanessa Kensington, college days' poison. The betrayal stung fresh: the woman he'd loved, adored, and trusted blindly—his girlfriend, radiant in youth.
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