The Illegitimate Flame: Bride of Ashes

Chapter 25: Chapter 25- Miss Louis

"Miss Louis from the Louis Group wants to see you. Do you have time now?" Janet put down the phone as Charles approached, her large eyes fixed on his tall, commanding presence.

"Isn’t all my time scheduled by you anyway?" Charles said, folding one arm around his other elbow while stroking his chin with his free hand, giving Janet a teasing smile.

"Huh?" Janet blinked, confused by what he meant...

"Oh, right—Miss Louis from the Louis Group—that’s you, Janet, isn’t it?" Charles kept walking forward but suddenly turned back, giving Janet a meaningful smile. After spending these past few days together, she was starting to catch the hidden meaning behind his words.

"Send her up," Janet said, picking up the phone again to give the instruction.

Not long after, a stylish, modern woman stepped out of the elevator. Her ash-blonde hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders. She wore a tight black dress that hugged her graceful figure. The plunging neckline revealed a clear glimpse of her curves. Her long, pale legs clicked gracefully against the polished marble floor in sharp high heels. As she passed Janet, the scent of her perfume—strikingly similar to Charles’s—drifted over. Elvira gave Janet a proud, sideways glance, then walked straight into the CEO’s office.

Janet glanced toward the closed conference room. It seemed only Charles had come out moments ago. But the meeting wasn’t over—why had he left early?

The vivid clarity of the digital projector’s display bombarded August’s senses. His long fingers tapped rhythmically on the rectangular conference table. Besides him, only Amos and Giles remained in the room. Charles had just finished estimating the bids for Phase Two of Golden Harbor and left. The remaining work was now being handled by his assistant, Giles.

"These cases are all under August’s responsibility now. For this ad campaign, the CEO decided to have Miss Ivanka as the official spokesperson. But there are a few other auditions that also looked promising, so the final decision is up to you," Giles said, handing over the contract Charles had given him to August. The flickering light from the slideshow cast an eerie yet captivating glow across August’s pale face.

"He really trusts me," August said with a slight smile, his fingers still tapping rhythmically on the table. After Giles finished speaking, August stood and straightened his suit with a calm, deliberate motion—just like Charles. His dark, shining eyes were impossible to read.

"Amos, I’m counting on you to cooperate going forward," August said, locking eyes with Amos, who remained seated. Without another word, August turned and left.

He could sense one thing clearly: there was only one ultimate decision-maker in this company. He, August, was just the newly appointed figurehead. Charles’s actions had only raised his profile and quietly pushed him forward from behind the scenes.

The conference room door opened, and August appeared, dressed in casual white attire, holding a stack of documents. Spotting Janet at the receptionist’s desk, he strode over, placing one hand on her desk without a care for Amos and Giles who followed behind.

"Janet, do you have time tonight?"

"August?" Janet looked up in surprise. Seeing him so fresh and warm, wearing his usual gentle smile, she instinctively shook her head. He must know about her relationship with Philip.

"What’s the matter? Going out with Charles is fine, but with me, it’s not?" August lowered his gaze, a few strands of hair falling across his forehead, as if trying to hide the flicker of loneliness in his eyes.

"What?" Janet thought she had misheard him. He said Charles—but when had she ever gone out with him?

Between Charles’s warnings and August’s deliberate closeness, Janet sensed there was a silent power struggle between them.

"Heh, pushing me away like this—is that Philip’s idea, or Charles’s?" August’s eyes briefly showed disappointment before regaining their usual calm. He should have known she was wary of him.

Janet hadn’t expected the question and struggled for a response. At that moment, the phone on the desk rang like a rescue. Janet quickly picked it up and heard Charles’s magnetic voice through the receiver.

"Janet, make two cups of coffee and bring them in."

"Yes, got it!" Janet hung up and looked at August, who stared at her big, expressive eyes for a few seconds, clearly frustrated. Then he silently turned and walked toward the elevator.

Janet immediately headed to the small break room, brewed two cups of coffee, and carried them into the CEO’s office.

As she pushed the door open, she saw Charles and Elvira chatting comfortably on the leather sofa. The rich scent of Dior perfume filled the air, blending so much that Janet couldn’t tell if it was from Charles or Elvira.

Elvira had really put a lot of effort in—just one meeting and she already seemed to understand Charles’s personality. Wearing the same couple’s perfume as him, Charles’s face showed little emotion, but when Janet entered, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"I didn’t expect Janet to be such a good barista!" Elvira sipped her rich black coffee elegantly, feigning praise as she noticed Charles held the same cup.

"Miss Louis grew up with Janet. How could she not know her talents?" Charles said casually, his eyes flicking toward Janet who was about to leave. His smile stayed unchanged.

Janet simply pretended not to hear and closed the door behind her as she left.

"Elwin doesn’t know everything," Elvira said with a sneer. "Janet only came to our family when she was nine. She’s just a woman my father had outside the marriage!" Every word was meant to belittle Janet—she was nothing but an illegitimate child. Elvira was the true heiress of the Louis family!

"Is that so?" Charles said thoughtfully. "Looks like there’s a lot you don’t know..." His deep eyes flickered with subtle emotion. Looking at Elvira’s face—so different from Janet’s—he felt the atmosphere growing heavier, almost suffocating.

Elvira could tell Charles knew Janet far better than she did, even as her older sister. Now that she knew Janet was married to Charles’s Philip—crippled or not—yet able to stay by Charles’s side every day, Elvira regretted having made Janet marry in her place.