Chapter 186

Charles was stunned. What the hell was this woman doing? Letting out a long, exasperated sigh, he steadied Marsha and led her toward the door. Austin watched them leave before finally turning to Suzanne. “Let’s go,” he said softly.

Inside Charles’s Lamborghini, the space was tight, and the speed was fast. Marsha was practically draped over him, shifting uncomfortably. Annoyed, he nudged her. “Hey, sit up properly.” But despite his irritation, he couldn’t stop the heat creeping up his face. For all her fiery attitude, Marsha had an incredible figure. That red strapless mini-dress clung to her curves, emphasizing just how dangerously sexy she was. Charles forced himself to stare out the window, refusing to let his gaze wander.

“Vrch—” His body stiffened upon hearing the noise she made. Whipping his head around, he glared at Marsha, his voice sharp with panic. “You’d better not—” But it was too late; Marsha lost control and threw up all over him.

Charles let out a bloodcurdling scream, his voice echoing through the car. Eyes wide with horror, he stared at the mess on his clothes and then roared, “Marsha, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?” He knew it. He and this woman were doomed to clash. Instinctively, he reached out to shove her off. But then he heard it—a soft, muffled sniffle. Charles’s hand froze in mid-air. She was trembling against him, her shoulders shaking.

“Why are men always so untruthful? Aren’t they supposed to be loyal?” she whispered. Her voice was quiet, laced with bitterness. This wasn’t like her at all.

Naries, who was in the midst of removing his clothes, paused mid-motion. He stared at Marsha, caught off guard. “You got screwed over by some jerk, didn’t you?” he asked. She suddenly straightened, glaring at him. “No! It’s my dad! He’s the jerk! He had an affair and abandoned my mom. He’s a scumbag!”

With that, she slumped against Charles’s chest while mumbling curses under her breath. Charles blinked, momentarily thrown off. This time, he didn’t push her away. Instead, he shrugged off his soiled jacket and tossed it aside before carefully steadying her to keep her from falling.

Marsha kept rambling. “Do you know how awful he is? He won’t even give my mom money… and he hits her…” Charles had seen plenty of ugly family dramas in high society. Affairs were practically standard practice. But Marsha was always so bold, so full of life. He never imagined she had wounds like these beneath her carefree exterior.

Glancing down at her resting against his lap, he asked quietly, “Then why doesn’t your mom leave him?” Martha’s expression dimmed. In a low voice, she replied, “Because of me. She wanted me to have a good education and secure a better future.” Money and connections were the true currency of high society. They were the advantages that ordinary people could never compete with. That was simply reality.

“Now, she finally wants to leave him, but my dad won’t let her. He even wants to bring that woman home.” A mix of sorrow and fury bled into her words. Charles didn’t respond. He simply kept his eyes on the road ahead, listening as she continued venting about the years of mistreatment they had endured. If she hadn’t gotten drunk tonight, he probably never would have known that beneath her bright personality, she carried so much hurt. Eventually, her words faded into silence. She had fallen asleep.

Just then, the driver’s voice came from the front. “Mr. Jennings, where are we going?” Charles snapped out of his thoughts. He gave Marsha a look, inquiring, “Hey, where do you live?” With all the chaos upon entering the car, he had completely forgotten to ask. But Marsha was out cold, completely unresponsive. Calling Austin was out of the question. The guy was probably busy having a romantic liaison with Suzanne.