Are you threatening me?
Luther’ POV
I did not expect to feel this kind of heat rising under my collar on a Tuesday morning. One moment, I was reviewing figures for our upcoming acquisition. Next, Charlotte strolled into my office like it was her living room, dropped a sealed envelope on my desk, and turned my world upside down with four words I will never forget.
“I tested for STIs.” Then she turned and walked out like she had just handed me a coffee order.
I stood there, staring at the envelope, my thoughts all over the place. My chest felt tight, not just from confusion, but from something deeper. Something I could not name. Anger? Panic? Possession? All I knew was that I hated the way every man on this floor had watched her walk in.
God, the dress. It barely covered her. It hugged her like it had been painted on. What was she thinking coming here like that?
“Wait, what?” Victoria gasped beside me, her hand flying to her chest as if she had just been stabbed. “Did she just say….?”
“Do not,” I warned, without even looking at her.
“You brought a teenager into your office to announce she has gonorrhoea? Are you completely out of your mind?” she shrieked, tugging her crop top down in a way that made her look even more ridiculous.
“She is not a teenager,” I growled, rubbing my forehead. “And it is none of your damn business.”
“None of my….? Luther, for the love of God! What kind of woman does something like that?” She started pacing, stomping like a toddler in heels.
I clenched my jaw so hard I thought my teeth would crack. “Victoria. Get out.”
“No.”
“I am serious,” I barked. “Leave. Now.”
“Not until you open that envelope,” she snapped, arms folded like she was standing guard over it. “What if she is lying? What if she’s dragged you into something huge? You owe it to yourself to find out.”
My patience cracked. “I have never touched you without protection, so whatever happens to her has nothing to do with you. Now get out before I say something worse.”
She did not budge. That was when she said it. Two words.
“Charlotte Stanley.”
I spun around, eyes narrowing. She was holding the envelope again, studying it with more interest than she ever gave a person.
“What did you say?” I asked, stepping forward slowly.
“Her last name is Stanley,” Victoria said, watching me. “Your brother’s surname, isn’t it?”
A strange chill ran down my spine. I yanked the envelope out of her hand and turned my back to her, trying to make sense of what I was feeling. Confusion. Dread. And something worse: familiarity. That name. That face. That fire in her eyes. And now, this? Something did not feel right. Not about Charlotte. Not about the timing. Not about any of it. I had a feeling this was only the beginning.
“Charlotte… short for Charlotte,” Victoria said slowly, her eyes widening with sudden clarity. “That’s the name you used the other night. While I was, while you were going down on me.” I dragged my hand over my face, feeling the throb in my temple return.
“Get out,” I said sharply. I had no space in my mind to deal with Victoria and her delusions. Not when everything inside me was already tangled in thoughts of Charlotte.
“What?” she screeched, like I had just insulted the Queen.
“You are a bed partner, Victoria. Nothing more. My personal life is none of your business, and I am not explaining this again.” I leaned over my desk, my voice even but colder than before.
Out of the corner of my eye, Reyna, my secretary, gave a thumbs-up as she passed by. She never did like Victoria. Maybe because we had slept together once, maybe because Victoria treated everyone like they were beneath her. Either way, I did not care.
“Leave now. And keep your mouth shut about today,” I said, lowering my voice. “If I hear even a whisper of this outside this room, I will not hesitate to share every little detail about your messes too.”
Her jaw dropped, and she pressed a hand to her chest like she had just been hit.
“Are you threatening me?” she gasped.
“No. I am simply making myself clear,” I said, managing a soft, pleasant tone before letting the warning settle in my stare. “Now leave.”
With a dramatic sigh, she grabbed her purse off my desk and stormed out, tossing Reyna a glare so sharp it could have cut glass. The second the door closed behind her, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.
“Where on earth do you find these mad women?” Reyna muttered from the doorway. “Goodness me. The younger one threw iced coffee all over my blouse.”
I gave her a side glance, then looked down at the stain running across the front of her white shirt. A dark, wet streak right from the collar to her stomach. I bit back a grin. That had Charlotte written all over it.
“Sorry,” Reyna said under her breath, closing the door behind her.
And then I was alone again. With nothing but my heartbeat and the envelope in my hands.
I stared at it. Then, slowly, I peeled it open. Her name was right there. Charlotte Stanley. My palms were sweating. I held my breath and started reading, word for word, even though my chest was tight and my stomach was in knots. Then, finally, one word. ‘Negative.’ I read it again. ‘Negative.’ I furrowed my brows, trying to process the relief that rushed through me. My thoughts were still a mess, but for a brief second, I felt grounded. That was when Mateo walked in without knocking. Startled, I quickly slid the results back into the envelope, my fingers trembling slightly.
“What do you want?” I snapped, striding back to my desk.
“Drop the attitude, Luther. It doesn’t suit you,” Mateo said with that smug grin of his as he slid into the client’s chair across from mine.
“Now I see why you’ve lost your mind over Charlotte,” he added, leaning back with a chuckle. “The girl’s stunning. And that ass…”
“Shut up,” I cut in, the heat rising in my chest. I didn’t like the way he said it. I didn’t like that he’d looked at her like that.
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you seriously jealous because I checked her out?” I gritted my teeth, and he laughed.
“Relax, man. I’ve got a gorgeous wife, and unless she decides to let me take a second one, which I doubt, Charlotte is safe. She’s all yours. No need to bite my head off.” He threw his hands up in mock surrender while I sank into my leather swivel chair, suddenly drained.
“So…” Mateo dragged the word, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
“Drop it.” But my mind was already drifting to Charlotte, her face when she walked in. The hurt. The disbelief. The disgust. That image had rooted itself deep, gnawing at me.
“You know I can’t drop it,” Mateo said, folding his arms across his chest. “When you called and said you’d messed up, I didn’t expect that level of disaster. Charlotte came in like a storm, furious, shaking, and then she saw you and Victoria...”
I rubbed my forehead, remembering her expression, the way her face crumbled when she caught us in the act. I hated that memory.
“You need to talk to her, Luther.” I shook my head. “She hates me. Why else would she lie about the results? She wanted to piss me off.”
Mateo scoffed. “You’re the CEO and the biggest shareholder in this company, and that’s the conclusion you came to?”
I frowned. “What are you getting at?”
“She was marking her territory, man. She saw Victoria, freaked out, and said what she said to scare her off. And it worked, clearly.”
I paused, his words hitting me harder than I expected.
“You think she still wants me… after everything?” I asked quietly.
“That’s the thing about deep feelings, whether it’s sex or love, they make people forgive more than they should. You’ve got a chance here. Don’t waste it. Talk to her. Fix this before you both spiral.”
He stood, giving me a firm nod before heading for the door. But before stepping out, he turned back one last time.
“Oh, and Luther? It’s okay to fall for a younger woman. You’ve spent years building walls, convincing yourself you don’t need real connection. But Charlotte, she brings out the part of you that’s been buried. She wants to care. She wants you. Don’t push that away. You make each other happy. That should be enough.”
He shut the door behind him. And for the first time in a long while, I sat there quietly and admitted something I’d been fighting from the start: I needed to talk to Charlotte. Not as a man protecting his pride, but as one finally ready to face the truth.
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