MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

Charlotte took one step back at her brother's words, her face pale.

"I won't..."

"That's good," Lionel said dryly, "Savannah's so generous that she didn't tell the police what you and your friend had done to her. But if you dare to do anything like that again, I won't spare you."

With that, he turned off the reading lamp and left the study.

Charlotte clenched her fist, a bitter smile rising on her lips.

Oh, Savannah had not become their relative yet, but her family had already started to stand at her side.

Thinking of this, her bitter smile turned into fervent hatred.

* * *

"Sir, Madam!"

In the servants' greeting, a tall, middle-aged man helped a beautiful middle-aged woman off the car.

After a long flight, the woman, thin and frail, looked obviously tired, but her eyes glowed with excitement and joy.

The man took her carefully, concerning himself with her all the time.

"Mom, dad," Lionel hurried down the steps and asked the servants to carry the luggage.

"Lionel," Ethan Rowe patted Lionel on his back.

"You had a hard trip. Is everything all right?" Lionel asked and looked at Joanne with concern. His stepmother was in poor health and would be uncomfortable for a few days each time after a long flight.

"I'm fine. Lionel, you said my daughter Savannah is still alive? You are not kidding me, are you?" Joanne, though weak and exhausted from the long journey, stared at her stepson with sparkling eyes.

"Yeah, she's still in LA." Lionel nodded.

Joanne's eyes suddenly turned red. She collapsed into her husband's arms and sobbed.

"Ethan, it's true… Savannah's not dead... She's still alive... How could this be? My father said that she and her father were both dead..."

"Lionel, did you arrange for your mother and Savannah to meet?" Ethan gently patted his wife on the back and asked his son.

"Well-arranged. You can have a rest first, tomorrow morning..."

"No, not tomorrow. I want to see her today. Lionel, take me to her right now…" Joanne coughed roughly when she said too quick. She couldn't wait for tomorrow.

"Okay, okay, Lionel will arrange it now. Let's go in and have a rest first. What if you fainted in front of your daughter later?" Ethan said as he took her hand.

Joanne nodded and went into the villa with her husband's help.

A maid handed the couple two cups of hot tea as they sat on the couch.

"Hey, where's Charlotte?" Joanne calmed down from her excitement and asked.

"Yeah, where's your sister, Lionel?" Ethan looked around the living room and wondered. That girl gave them a wholehearted greeting when they came back every time. How did she not show up today?

Lionel frowned imperceptibly and glanced upstairs.

"Charlotte's a little under the weather these days. She's now resting in her room."

He put his sister grounded after Edmond's case that day. She must be taught a lesson this time.

"Sick? Is she all right?" Joanne was worried.

"Nothing, just a slight cold. I'll call her down." Lionel made a gesture to a maid.

Shortly after, Charlotte, accompanied by the maid, went downstairs. She looked quite dispirited.

"Mom, Dad, you're back." Charlotte forced a smile.

Joanne beckoned her to sit down beside her and touched her forehead.

"Charlotte, have you seen the doctor? Are you still sick?"

Charlotte put her arms around Joanne and said sweetly, "I feel much better when I see mom and dad back."

"You're always so sweet, my honey," Joanne, softened by her coquetry, smiled and gave her a hug.

"But no matter how sweet I am, I can't beat your own daughter. right?" Charlotte grimaced, like a poor child.

"Charlotte." Lionel frowned.

Joanne, however, just thought she was acting cute.

"You and Savannah are both my girls, just the same." She patted her on the hand and smiled softly.

Charlotte gave a snort inwardly. One is biological, the other is stepdaughter, and how can they be the same? But the smile on her face was even sweeter.

In the evening, Joanne chatted with Charlotte for a while after dinner. At about seven, Lionel arranged for a driver to take his stepmother to meet Savannah in the cafe of a nearby five-star hotel.

They had planned to meet at home, but in case Savannah would feel awkward to see Charlotte or show hostility to Ethan, Lionel decided to let them meet outside.

"Mom, I'll go with you." Charlotte coyly took Joanne's arm before Lionel could stop her.

Joanne nodded with a smile.

Lionel frowned and could only say, "Charlotte, take care of your mother."

The car started and left Royal Villa soon.

* * *

Savannah was sitting in the window seat, watching the stream of people and vehicles outside the window. The cup of coffee in front of her was steaming.

She would see her mother soon.

Now her feelings were a mixture of anger at Joanne's leaving, excitement at their reunion, misery at her father's absence.

Outside the window, a white car stopped at the door of the hotel.

A waiter stepped forward and opened the door.

Savannah's heartbeat quickened as a well-dressed middle-aged woman got out, followed by Charlotte.

The woman was in fine form but looked very thin; her face was pale.

It was a face that Savannah would never forget.

Although she had not seen her mother for more than ten years, her face was still engraved in her mind.

She noticed that her breathing had speeded up. Taking a deep breath, she folded her little hands tightly to subdue her tension.

Charlotte looked a little haggard. Joanne said something to her, with a motherly smile on her face.

Savannah pressed her hand on her heart, quite uncomfortable.

Since her mother disappeared, she had been expecting her mother to treat her like this for years... But she never appeared when she needed her.

It seemed that her mother had put all her gentle and maternal love on another girl.

Joanne and Charlotte were the real mother and daughter. She, however, was an unnecessary presence.

As footsteps sounded, she looked up and saw Joanne coming in.