Delete My Love for You novel Chapter 10

The bodyguards bowed in unison. Red-eyed and furious, Noah pointed directly at Charlotte. “Grab her.”

Charlotte’s expression faltered. She tried to reason with him, her voice gentle but firm. “Noah, you can’t just use force whenever you want. That’s not right!”

Her scolding, so much like a parent’s, only infuriated Noah further.

“Oh, so now you think you’re my mom? The only person in the world who dares boss me around is my dad! Bodyguards, lock her in the wine cellar—now!”

One of the bodyguards hesitated, wringing his hands. “Young Master, that cellar is for Mr. Harrington’s vintage wine collection. The air down there isn’t safe…”

“My dad hired you to protect me. You take orders from me! Say one more word, and you can join the nanny down there!”

Noah was determined to punish Charlotte.

Charlotte’s heart had already been torn apart by her son’s cold betrayal. This was exactly what she expected; Noah would never trust her—unless Darren told him the truth himself.

She bit her lip, forcing her voice steady. “Noah, just wait until your father comes home. Ask him, and you’ll know what really happened.”

But Noah had stopped listening. The bodyguards dragged Charlotte to the basement door, right beneath the stairs.

“Ma’am, please don’t blame us. We’re just following the young master’s orders,” one of them muttered apologetically.

After those words, they slammed the heavy steel hatch shut, sealing Charlotte inside. Darkness and damp pressed in from every side.

The thin, stale air made her fever spike. Her head pounded heavier with every breath. It was getting harder to breathe.

Was she really going to die down here?

***

Darren finished his last meeting of the day, preparing to head home. He thought of Charlotte’s unpredictable behavior at the old family house and paused to call his assistant. “Have Xena meet me at the Fyo Club. I need a drink.”

But Xena called back almost immediately. “Mr. Harrington, I’m not in the mood for a drink. Your wife kicked me out of the house today.”

“What?” Darren’s brow furrowed.

Xena continued, “I told you before, I won’t play the other woman. You said it was just part-time work, nothing more, so I agreed. But your wife can’t stand me.”

“I understand. I’ll handle it.”

He hung up and slid into his car. “Take me home. Now.”

Half an hour later, Darren strode into the foyer of the mansion.

She felt herself slipping, weightless, into a bottomless abyss.

A faint, bitter smile touched her lips.

If I die down here, would you miss me, even for a second? A heartbeat?

No, you wouldn’t. You’ll always love your first love, your golden girl, anyone but me...

Her hand finally went limp, and she collapsed onto the cold, hard steps.

***

Outside, Darren had searched every inch of the house. No sign of Charlotte.

He suddenly remembered Noah’s evasive eyes.

He rushed back downstairs, straight into the living room. Noah tried to slip away, but Darren grabbed his shoulder and held him fast.

His voice was ice. “Noah, where’s Charlotte?”