Do not blame yourself, babe
Luther’ POV
My grip on Charlotte tightened as Gavin’s words sank in, each one burning through my mind like poison. The nerve of that bastard, to drag Charlotte’s name into the media. My jaw clenched as I stared at Gavin’s smug face, barely stopping myself from snatching the phone out of Mateo’s hand.
“I will kill him,” I said through gritted teeth, pulling away from Charlotte.
Right then, all I wanted was to find Gavin and make him pay. He had to know the damage a lie that size would cause, especially on live television.
“You will do no such thing.” Mateo stepped in front of the door, blocking me. His face was unreadable, but his eyes sharpened as he watched my expression harden.
“Move,” I snapped, my hands curling into fists.
“Please do not go,” Charlotte said softly, wrapping her arms around mine.
I ignored her, eyes locked on Mateo.
“Move. Now,” I said, my voice low and cold.
“And let you walk into Gavin’s trap? I do not think so.” Mateo crossed his arms and widened his stance. His calm defiance only made my anger worse. I gave a bitter laugh and wiped my hand across my face.
“Think, Luther. Use your head. Why do you think Gavin made up a story like that with Charlotte?” Mateo asked, his tone sharper now.
I looked past him, focusing on the door. As much as I hated to admit it, he had a point.
“He wants to set you off. And what you are about to do, storming out and confronting him, is exactly what he is counting on. You would be playing right into his hands,” Mateo said. “This is what he does. He pushes until his enemies lose control. And right now, you are the biggest one he has.”
I let out a heavy breath and turned away, heading toward the sitting room. Charlotte quietly followed.
“I do not get it,” she said. “What does his announcement have to do with upsetting you?”
She did not sound angry, just confused, trying to understand Gavin’s motive.
“He is not stupid,” Mateo said, sitting opposite us. “He must have noticed the way Luther looked at you at the lake.”
Charlotte scoffed. “And how exactly was he looking at me?”
“Like you were the only woman there,” Mateo replied.
I dropped my gaze, catching Charlotte’s faint smile as she looked away.
“That is not really the point,” Mateo continued. “Gavin knows Luther has feelings for you. Even if he is not sure, he will use that possibility to pull Luther into the spotlight.”
“You are just assuming,” I said.
“Do not forget what his father did with Brittany,” Mateo shot back. “He nearly took your company down. Gavin is walking the same path. Every time he opens his mouth on TV, it is calculated. We both know that. He is not after love or headlines. He is after power.”
I let out another sigh. He was right. We had watched Gavin destroy reputations with a few clever words. And now he was after mine.
“Even if he knows the truth,” Charlotte said, shifting closer and resting her arm on my thigh, “would it not make more sense for him to expose us outright instead of dragging it out?”
“Businessmen love games, babe,” I replied, and Mateo nodded in agreement.
“He is close to the media, unlike Luther,” Mateo added, pointing toward me. “We have seen him use the press to crush his rivals, indirectly, always. He never had a way to reach Luther before your mother’s wedding.”
Charlotte sat up, buried her face in her hands. “I should have listened to you when you warned me about him,” she murmured.
“Do not blame yourself, babe. We will handle this,” I said, trying to comfort her, but she stood up suddenly and began pacing the rug.
“What if the paparazzi start following me around? What if this ruins everything?” Her hands went to her head, shaking in frustration. “Gavin has completely messed up my life.”
“Hey, hey,” I said gently, rising and wrapping my arms around her. “I know this is not the life you wanted. But we will figure it out.”
I could only imagine what was running through her mind, headlines, cameras, losing her privacy overnight.
“There might be a way to counter Gavin’s lie,” Mateo cut in.
“Really?” Charlotte pulled back slightly, her voice laced with hope. Just hearing that gave me a flicker of relief.
“But Luther will not like it,” Mateo added, glancing my way.
“Say it. I will do anything to help her get her life back,” I said firmly.
“We could reach out to ATV. Set up an interview, your version of the story.”
“No. Absolutely not.” I shot him a sharp look. “Putting her in front of the cameras will only feed the gossip. That is exactly what Gavin wants. She needs to stay out of sight while we find a way to silence him.”
“What if we play him at his own game?” Charlotte asked as she sat back down.
“What do you mean?” I asked, but before she could answer, her phone rang.
Her eyes narrowed the moment she saw the caller ID. Something felt off. Very off.
“What the hell do you want?” she snapped, hitting speaker. Her lips pressed into a hard line.
“I take it you watched the interview,” Gavin’s voice oozed smugness through the line. “No woman has ever humiliated me like you did. And for that, I will make sure you pay. I will drag your name so far through the dirt no college in this state will touch you.”
Charlotte let out a sharp laugh, tilting her head back. “Wow. For a CEO, you really have a fragile ego.”
“If I were you, I would be running to Luther for help. He is the only one who can pull you out of this,” Gavin said.
My jaw clenched as the pieces started falling into place. He was using her to reach me. Just like his father used Brittany. The coward never changed his tactics, he just chose different victims.
“What does my step-uncle have to do with this?” Charlotte asked, keeping her voice steady.
“Well,” Gavin drawled, “I might let this go if he agrees to a little business proposal I have.”
Mateo shot me a knowing look. He had been right from the beginning. Gavin’s real target was me.
Charlotte scoffed. “You must be out of your mind if you think Luther will make deals with you just to protect me. We can barely stand each other. The only thing we have in common is my mother and his brother.”
That was a lie, and we all knew it. But it was a smart one. Mateo gave her a discreet thumbs up. I reached out and rubbed her back in silent thanks.
Gavin underestimated her. And now, he had no idea who he was really messing with.
“Well, that’s your problem, Charlotte. Either make him agree to this… or prepare to go through hell.”
With that, Gavin ended the call.
Charlotte dropped her phone onto her lap and closed her eyes, exhaling shakily. The room fell silent for a moment.
“I’ve got something that might end this madness right now,” Mateo said, holding up his phone with a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips.
I frowned, curious, as he turned the screen toward me. Charlotte’s eyes fluttered open at his words.
“I recorded the entire conversation,” he said coolly.
A slow grin spread across my face. “Well done,” I said, gaze drifting past him into the distance as the possibilities began forming in my mind. “We’re about to end his pathetic little game.”
I could already picture the look on Gavin’s face.
“Oh, I can’t wait to play that recording for him,” I said, my voice low and steady, “and remind him that I won’t hesitate to forward it to every major media outlet in this city.”
Gavin wanted a war. He was about to get one. On our terms.
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