Chapter 198

Charlotte thought to herself, right on cue. She nodded, keeping her expression carefully neutral. “Yes, they broke my—”

Lucía visibly relaxed, her shoulders dropping slightly. Charlotte observed this reaction, then decided to cut straight to the chase. “You’re in love with him, et pa—”

Lucia blinked, taken aback by Charlotte’s directness. “I am,” she admitted with surprising honesty. “That hasn’t changed.”

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. “That’s quite the long-term commitment. Seven years, if I’m counting right—”

“Mm-hmm.” Lucia lowered her gaze, her voice softening.

Charlotte felt a complex mix of admiration and pity. Carrying a torch for someone that long took remarkable dedication. But love doesn’t operate on persistence alone.

“The thing is,” Charlotte said with a small smile, “Asher never stopped loving Thalia. From what I can see, they’re likely to find their way back to each other.”

The polished smile faded from Lucia’s lips. “What makes you say that?”

“Their breakup wasn’t what it seemed,” Charlotte explained. “They didn’t fall out of love or get bored with each other. Malfoy—Andrew’s illegitimate son—realized Thalia was Asher’s weakness. He kidnapped her, tried to kill her multiple times. Thalia was actually shot by Malfoy’s men recently. She’s still in the hospital recovering.”

Lucia’s eyes widened. “Oh my God. I had no idea.”

“Yeah,” Charlotte sighed. “Thankfully, Malfoy’s been arrested now.”

Lucia frowned, her expression turning serious as she seemed lost in thought.

“Lucia,” Charlotte said gently but firmly, “You can’t force someone’s heart to change direction.”

Lucia gave a sad smile. “I know, but…” She paused before continuing, “I just can’t let go. I came back to take my shot. They’re already broken up—pursuing him now isn’t exactly homewrecking.”

Chapter 198

Charlotte regarded Lucia with a look that said everything without words. Lucia understood exactly what Charlotte was thinking: Let him go. Move on.

She’d tried that seven years ago, and failed miserably. After graduating from one of the world’s top universities, she’d surprised everyone by declining the family business succession, instead launching her own fashion brand. Her company had flourished globally, even going public on NASDAQ. Now, she felt confident, accomplished, worthy of standing beside someone like Asher Blackwood.

Her first act upon returning to London had been researching Thalia’s current situation. Learning that Thalia was now merely a relatively unknown attorney at a small firm had given her hope. At least professionally, she held the competitive advantage.

Seeing her words had no impact, Charlotte dropped the subject. Back at home, she couldn’t hide her troubled expression. James noticed immediately. “What’s wrong? You look stressed.”

“Did you know Lucia Schulz has a thing for Asher?” she asked.

“Lucia and Asher?” James’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s news to me. Since when?”

With Asher’s history of admirers, James’s ignorance wasn’t surprising. Asher wasn’t one to broadcast women’s confessions, and Lucia had chosen a private setting for hers, making James’s unawareness perfectly understandable. Charlotte only knew because a friend of hers knew Lucia’s former confidante. During drinks one evening, the woman had let it slip. She’d immediately begged them to keep it quiet, terrified Lucia would cut ties with her if word got out. Lucia’s pride couldn’t handle people knowing that she—the Schulz heiress desired by countless eligible bachelors—had faced rejection. Charlotte wasn’t typically one for gossip, and having promised to keep it quiet, she’d never mentioned it—not even to Victoria or Thalia. At the time, she only knew Lucia had been turned down, not that Asher had rejected her because of Thalia. She hadn’t realized his heart was already claimed by her best friend.

Chapter 198

Later, when Thalia and Asher got together, Lucia had been overseas for years. Charlotte assumed she’d moved on, making the information irrelevant. Now that Lucia was back and openly pursuing Asher, Charlotte felt sharing with James didn’t violate her promise.

“She confessed to him before leaving for the States,” she explained. “He turned her down.”

James raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. Asher never mentioned that.”

“Why would he?” Charlotte shrugged. “She told me today she still has feelings for him and plans to actively pursue him.”

“Seriously?” James seemed genuinely surprised. “She’s been gone for what—six, seven years? And she’s still hung up on him?”

“Yeah,” Charlotte frowned. “And Thalia’s clearly not over him either. What do you think Asher will do?”

“Is that even a question?” James laughed. “For Asher, if Thalia’s in the equation, there’s never a choice to make.”

Charlotte’s frown dissolved into a smile. “That’s comforting to hear, especially from his best friend. You probably know him better than anyone.”

James nodded. “Asher was secretly in love with Thalia for years before they got together. He’s not giving up easily.”

Then James asked thoughtfully, “What about Rupert? Asher may not see this as a choice, but what about from Thalia’s perspective?”

“That’s harder to call,” Charlotte admitted. “When Thalia was hospitalized, Rupert went to St. Paul’s Cathedral for that Guardian Angel Charm. His devotion is just as genuine. If I had to choose between them…”

Charlotte considered the question and found herself genuinely stumped. “They both love Thalia deeply. Both match her in looks and status. It’s really anyone’s guess.”

James’s lips quirked upward. “When Asher and Thalia first got together through the arranged engagement, it happened naturally—no chase involved. If he wants her back now, he’ll have to actually work for it.” His eyes sparkled with amusement. “I must say, I’m looking forward to seeing Asher Blackwood have to genuinely pursue someone. In all the years I’ve known him, it’s never happened before.”

Charlotte grinned. “Now that you mention it, so am I.”