The Illegitimate Flame: Bride of Ashes

Chapter 24: Chapter 24- a hidden purpose

Robert hadn’t expected to find Janet here. His gaze fell on Philip in the wheelchair, his face clouded with anger. Without hesitation, Robert stepped forward, gently took Philip from Janet’s hands, and helped him onto the bed. Then, he started massaging Philip’s legs with practiced familiarity.

"Let me do it," Janet said softly, moving to the bedside. She looked at Philip’s furrowed brow, sensing his discomfort but determined. She was his wife, after all—this was her responsibility.

"Mrs. Janet..." Robert nodded approvingly at her earnest expression and then rose to guide her through the process step-by-step. Because Philip had been confined to the wheelchair for so long, his leg joints had stiffened. Regular nightly massages were needed to improve circulation and sensory function.

"Don’t forget to remind the master to take his medicine before bed," Robert added, pointing to the bottle on the nightstand.

Janet nodded and knelt beside the bed, her delicate hands gently resting on Philip’s numb legs. The soft yellow light bathed her in a pure white dress, making her look almost angelic. Philip held his breath as he watched her—so gentle, so focused. Somehow, her touch seemed to stir warmth and blood flow in his once lifeless legs.

"Janet..." Philip’s voice was strained as he averted his gaze. From his angle, he looked down at the beautiful woman kneeling before him in a strapless dress. Usually so devoid of desire, he felt a stirring within.

"Did that hurt?" Janet looked up, meeting his intense eyes. A sudden electric current seemed to pass through her, and she startled, sitting upright. She reached for the now lukewarm water on the bedside table, pouring two pills into his palm.

Remembering his limited mobility, she carefully guided the medicine to his lips. Her fingertips brushed his mouth, and she could feel his breath warm against the back of her hand. She quickly withdrew and placed the cup of water before him.

Watching him swallow the pills, she still felt the heat of his gaze locked onto her.

Why was she so nervous? This man was her legitimate husband—and he had done so much for the Louis family on her behalf. She owed him gratitude.

"Philip, thank you for letting the president accompany me to the Louis family today," Janet said habitually, using Charles’s formal title. Though her heart had fluttered from the kiss in the car earlier, she needed to keep Charles at arm’s length.

At the mention of Charles, all the strange emotions in Philip’s chest suddenly vanished. How could he forget he was the one pushing this woman toward his brother?

"Well, rest now. Good night," Janet said, noticing his silence. She pulled the blanket over his legs and turned to leave.

The room was left filled only with a faint, delicate fragrance.

After Janet left, Philip stared at the ceiling, his thoughts tangled.

Janet stood in front of the mirror, inspecting the skin Charles had kissed—there was a faint pink flush, her swollen lips still carrying his scent. Then her eyes widened. Earlier, when she saw Philip, had he not noticed the marks—or was he pretending not to?

Janet shook her head. The two brothers gave her such strange feelings.

Once again, she lay on the soft, spacious bed with a dim yellow lamp glowing beside her, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

Got it! Here’s an English translation of your excerpt, adapted for American readers with natural flow and cultural context:

Janet wasn’t sure if Charles had stayed at the estate last night. When she stepped out of the villa, she noticed his black Bugatti Veyron was nowhere in sight. So, he probably hadn’t spent the night there.

When she arrived at the office, she realized he had gotten there well before her. Janet watched him quietly — his face as composed and sharp as ever, showing no trace of embarrassment from the incident last night.

"Print out these documents. We’ll need them for the meeting," Charles said, leaning both hands on Janet’s desk. She had been daydreaming and jumped up when she heard his voice. But she hadn’t expected him to be so close. Seeing that mischievous smirk on his handsome face, she instinctively took a couple steps back.

"Yes, boss," Janet replied, nodding. When his breath brushed against her cheek, an unfamiliar warmth spread through her, and her face flushed without her noticing.

"Janet, are you thinking about men?" Charles called out suddenly as he started to walk away, making Janet freeze in shock. Her cheeks deepened from pink to bright red. Nervously, she clutched the hem of her blouse and snapped back, "N-no, I’m not!"

Charles just laughed again, clearly in a good mood today. Janet found it puzzling how he always said the weirdest things, almost like he enjoyed watching her get flustered.

Half an hour later, Janet handed the printed proposal to Charles. She was somewhat familiar with the project: a scenic park in the industrial zone was slated to be redeveloped into a resort. That area was prime real estate in City A, and many well-known companies were eager to win the operating rights. The first phase had already been won by Black Rock Co. If they secured the second phase as well, it would be a major boost for them.

Competitive bidding was a closely guarded secret for any company. Janet, professional as always, hadn’t even glanced inside the documents before handing the proposal to Charles and stepping away.

Only Giles accompanied Charles to the executive floor’s high-end conference room for the meeting. Besides August and the designer Amos, no one else was present. It was clear just how much Charles valued this project.

"Janet, someone downstairs claiming to be your sister, Miss Louis, wants to see the CEO. What should I tell her...?" Janet suddenly received a call from the company’s front desk. The name Louis immediately caught her attention — she knew it was Elvira. But what was she doing at Black Rock Co., looking for Charles?

"Tell her the CEO is currently in a meeting. If she wants to see him, I’ll pass the message along after it’s over," Janet replied. Usually, any caller asking to see Charles would be cut off right at the front desk. But since this time the visitor claimed to be Janet’s sister, they let it through. Everyone knew Janet was Charles’s chief secretary — and that her other identity was extremely confidential.

Five minutes later, Janet got another call — Elvira wanted to see her.

In all these years, Elvira had never taken the initiative to get close to Janet. But now she had shown up at the company, and her intentions were easy to guess. Janet was about to refuse when she caught sight of that sharp, handsome figure already stepping out of the conference room.