Chapter 2

The intruder's movements were exceptionally graceful, slipping through the window and landing with a fluidity that seemed almost cinematic. Their feet touched the floor without making a sound.

An ordinary person would never have detected the stranger's presence.

Charlotte's eyelashes fluttered slightly, but she continued pretending to sleep.

The man stood motionless, studying Charlotte's back with intense curiosity as she lay facing away from him.

He let out a barely audible chuckle.

Charlotte's hand moved imperceptibly beneath the covers, reaching for the gun hidden under her pillow. She was fully prepared to attack.

But after hearing that soft laugh, the curtains rustled again as the intruder apparently departed.

Charlotte patiently waited a few more minutes before rising to check the window. Sure enough, it was empty.

The curtains still swayed gently in the breeze, as if the entire incident had been a figment of her imagination.

Lost in thought, she looked down at the compact handgun she was holding when something caught her eye by the window—a military knife. On its handle was a tiny engraved letter.

E.

Charles Edward!

Charlotte immediately made the connection, though questions lingered in her mind.

Had Charles Edward come just to observe her?

She put her thoughts aside and returned the gun to its hiding place.

The next morning, when Charlotte went downstairs, Lucas and Meredith were already waiting at the breakfast table.

They weren't alone. A stylishly dressed young woman sat with them.

This must be her cousin, Saskia Seymour.

Compared to yesterday's coaxing approach, Lucas's attitude had hardened considerably. "Charlotte, with your current background, marrying into the Edward family is like winning the lottery. What's there to hesitate about? If you delay any longer, what happens if the Edward family changes their mind?"

Charlotte maintained her timid, cautious demeanor from the day before: "But I think Saskia would be more suitable to marry into the Edward family."

Saskia's expression instantly darkened. She was about to lash out when Lucas shot her a warning glance, forcing her to swallow her anger.

After all, Charlotte was meant to take her place at the altar.

If Charlotte refused to go through with it, Saskia would be the one suffering instead.

Saskia forced a smile: "Charlotte, we're your family. We wouldn't harm you. Marrying Charles means you'll only need to enjoy life as a wealthy lady from now on."

Charlotte looked at her with innocent confusion. "Then why don't you marry him?"

Saskia nearly ground her teeth to dust. When Charlotte had first raised this question, she had deliberately changed the subject. She hadn't expected Charlotte to pursue it so directly.

Why wouldn't she marry Charles? Because she was afraid of dying, of course!

Meredith coughed and redirected the conversation. "Saskia already has someone she loves. Charlotte, just do as we say. We won't let you down."

Before Charlotte could respond, Saskia suddenly received a message that made her face change.

"Dad, I just saw that Charles specifically requested a daughter of the Seymour family, but now..."

If Charlotte's substitution fell through, what would happen to her?

Lucas stared thoughtfully at Charlotte, then casually remarked, "Charlotte is also a Seymour daughter. Charlotte, I know you're a good girl. Surely you wouldn't want to prevent Saskia from marrying the man she loves? Let's make a deal—what would it take for you to agree to this marriage?"

Charlotte tilted her head, appearing to give it serious thought. She held up five fingers and wiggled them.

Meredith asked excitedly, "Five thousand?"

Charlotte shook her head and wiggled her fingers again, mentally rolling her eyes.

Five thousand dollars to trick her into this dangerous situation? This family was truly greedy.

Her aunt asked uncertainly, "Fifty thousand?"

Charlotte shook her head again and continued wiggling her fingers.

Lucas maintained a calm expression. "Fifty thousand it is. I'll arrange for the money to be transferred to your account immediately."

Charlotte shook her head once more.

Saskia narrowed her eyes at Charlotte's hand. "You can't possibly be asking for five hundred thousand?"

Charlotte finally spoke, "Five million dollars! Not a penny less, or I won't agree to the marriage."

With those words, all three family members jumped to their feet. Lucas's face turned crimson with disbelief as he raised his voice. "What did you say? Five million! Charlotte, have you lost your mind?"

Meredith looked equally shocked. They had assumed Charlotte would be easy to manipulate, but never imagined she would demand such an exorbitant sum.

Charlotte calmly met their gaze, still maintaining her innocent, naive expression. "Weren't you the ones who told me to name my price?"

"You can't be this greedy! We're your family, not your enemies. That's far too much—we can't afford it," Meredith sputtered furiously.

Charlotte nodded thoughtfully. "Then Saskia will have to marry him instead. Don't worry, Saskia, I'll wish you a happy and blessed marriage."

Those words nearly made Saskia break her teeth from clenching them so hard.

If she actually married Charles, she'd be dead within three days. Charlotte was practically cursing her to an early grave.

Lucas was the first to regain his composure, suppressing his anger as he sat back down. "Charlotte, we're not that wealthy. That's a considerable sum. Couldn't you ask for less?"

Charlotte shook her head without hesitation. "That's my price."

Her eyes revealed an unyielding determination. Lucas and Meredith exchanged glances.

It was clear Charlotte wouldn't budge.

Five million dollars to save their daughter's life—it was worth it!

"I'll have someone transfer the money to you shortly. But remember what you agreed to—marrying into the Edward family."

Charlotte flashed an obedient smile. "I just remembered something else. I want Saskia to come with me to the Edward family to take care of me."

"Absolutely not," Meredith refused immediately, her voice cold. "Saskia has her own life. She can't possibly go to look after you. If you really need someone to take care of you, hire a servant yourself."

Charlotte's beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly in apparent dismay. Suddenly, she looked up at the house. "Isn't this my parents' house?"

Those words instantly put all three of them on edge again.

Lucas's smile became strained as he reluctantly nodded. "Yes, when you were still very young, this house couldn't be left unattended, so we moved in."

"I see," Charlotte replied docilely. "Now that I'm grown up, shouldn't you return the house to me?"

Before Lucas could respond, Charlotte added, "By the way, this villa must be worth quite a lot. Since you've been living here for so long, shouldn't you pay me some rent? But since we're family, I can give you a discount—just one million dollars. How does that sound?"

The three of them could no longer remain seated.

Saskia's eyes flashed with murderous intent.

In just a few sentences, Charlotte was trying to extract six million dollars from them!

Charlotte pretended not to notice their fiery glares. "I just remembered something else. Don't I have a brother who's still in school? Where is he studying now?"

The moment those words left her mouth, the anger on their faces instantly transformed into guilt.