AFTER NEVER (Charlotte's Story)

Chapter 56/128: Royal Estate

SURPRISE REVEALED IN THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END OF THIS CHAP! Check it out!
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"Belgra... WHAT?" I snapped. My heartbeat rate was suddenly exponential, as his words echoed.

'To my estate in Belgravia.'

"You... You cannot actually be serious!" I breathed, eyes wide.

He gave me a look.

A look which said nothing and everything at once. A look clearly mirroring the utter coldness, conceit, and pure 'I-never-joke' personality.

He fixed me with his drugging gaze, calmly parting his lips. "I could be. And in fact, at the moment, I am."

His cool, frozen voice suddenly got on my nerves, and I felt myself on verge of broiling.

"Oh, really?" I furrowed my eyebrows, "Allow me to completely be serious as well when I refuse your hospitable invitation, Mister!" I felt my voice boiling.

He didn't even flinch, as he eyed his phone screen, coolly.

"Actually, I do not choose to waste my time in something like invitations." He raised his gaze to meet mine, and I shuddered, "I was informing you."

I clenched my fists, and felt heat raise up through my blood as anger broil through me.

"And I still will not do so!" I snapped, "You never change, Mr. Ellington! You can't just say the words and they become a given, no!"

His glare buried holes through me.

"It might surprise you, then, that that is what always happens."

I clenched my fists to my sides, giving him a depressed stare.

"Katherine will be worried if I do not come home!" Now that I mention it, I should call her.

His jaw twitched, and his orbs darkened.

"Oh, if you insist, then go." His tone, for a second, resembled something like anger, and it burned in cold flames. "Go, and enjoy the company of another crew targeting you through the night."

I gasped, my heart sinking.

His voice grew colder, and it lacked utter emotions. Like it was his intentions to poison his own words. "They might even take your friend. Who knows? Two birds in one hunt." He sassed, voice dripping of coldness and dead lack of emotion.

I felt a cold hand clutch at my heart.

Damn it. He was definitely right.

I bit my lip, lowering my head to hide my expression. What do I do now?

"B-But then what to do?" I muttered, my voice shaking and desperate.

There was no way I was heading home, either. They'd get Theo and my mom with that.

Then a light bulb lit in an idea over my head, and I gasped.

"Yes!" I slammed my fist softly over my other hand's palm in a signature of an idea, "I'll just take a hotel room!"

The president's look intensified, but he kept his demeanor as cold. "You're right, targeting you in a room alone might be easier for them. I've always thought you to be considerate about facilitating the life of humanity." His sassiness came again, his tone deadly and disinterested.

"Will you stop with the sass?!" I snapped, then frowned, "The hotel has security teams."

He didn't mind my frown, as he gave a slight nod, fixing his prideful gaze into my rebellious one. "It also has those who lick every tip in return for presenting services."