Chapter 186-for someone
He never had many women around him — and yet, she was the only one who truly mattered.
Women, to him, were always a source of trouble. Yet somehow, she had effortlessly broken through his defenses. When they first met, she was still his nominal sister-in-law.
"So, what was your relationship with that Ivanka? Did you ever have feelings for her?" Janice asked, her voice edged with suspicion. She’d heard everything about Charles when she first joined Black Rock Co. — how he was almost entirely free from scandal. Unlike Shaun, smooth-talking, or Brian, calculating, Charles was stubbornly loyal in love. Once he claimed a woman, he owned her with fierce, unyielding devotion. That kind of man was irresistible.
"I told you, it was just professional admiration. What are you thinking about?" Charles lightly tapped her forehead, annoyed. He wished he could show her his heart — she kept digging up old ghosts. To him, Ivanka was only a fleeting shadow. The moment he saw her clear eyes, he thought of Janice. He struggled, hesitated, even thought about giving up on Janice. But whether she was his secretary or his ’sister-in-law,’ he couldn’t let go. That night she became his sister-in-law, her first time was also his first unconditional acceptance of a woman.
"What? Can’t I ask? You seemed closer to her than to me back then..." Janice complained, recalling Charles’s cold distance. What she didn’t know was how close he had been, yet she had pushed him away time and again, rejecting, avoiding, even fleeing. A man of flesh and blood, deeply in love, only to be treated like poison. Through Ivanka, he tried to find Janice’s shadow, but no other woman could ever replace her.
"Stop talking nonsense. Don’t you know who’s in my heart?" Charles caught her hand, pressing it over his chest. The fierce, rapid heartbeat nearly burned Janice’s palm.
He had been proud and untouchable, worlds apart from her. She wasn’t immune to his charm — but she doubted she could ever tame this iceberg.
Yet, even the coldest ice begins to melt under warm sunlight, and he had melted completely in front of her.
"I know, Charles. I believe you," Janice whispered, hearing the steady pounding in his chest. She recalled all he’d given her — body and soul — fighting through despair, never giving up.
"Janice, remember, you’re the only woman in my life," he vowed. The one and only.