Chapter 81: The Neighbor

The following morning, Charlotte was rudely awakened by the distant whir of helicopter. The grating sound echoed across the quiet villa, growing louder with every passing second until it shattered the peaceful silence she had hoped to sleep through.

The night before, she had invited her two closest friends to stay at her villa, the one gifted by Kristoff.

After the humiliation she had endured the previous day, she desperately needed familiar faces to vent to. They had stayed up late, gossiping over wine while her friends tried to lift her spirits. It was the wee hours, when she finally crawled into bed, exhaustion had settled into her bones.

She had planned to sleep until noon.

Instead, the relentless noise coming from the neighboring villa dragged her from her dreams.

Charlotte let out an irritated groan, burying her face into the pillow. As if the previous day’s embarrassment wasn’t enough, she had to wake up to this unbearable racket.

Her mood only soured further when she remembered Kristoff.

He had declined her invitation to spend the night.

She had wanted him there—not because she needed his comfort, but because she wanted her friends to see how devoted he was to her. She wanted them to envy her, to witness the attention and affection he lavished on her.

Instead, he had apologized.

"The maid called," he had explained. "Alexander isn’t feeling well."

Charlotte had no choice but to smile understandingly.

"Why don’t you come over to the Dalton mansion instead?" Kristoff had suggested gently. "The more time you spend with Alexander, the closer the two of you will become."

A strained smile curved her lips.

Who wants to bond with that bastard of yours?

The cruel thought flashed through her mind, but her expression remained flawlessly innocent.

"I’m sorry, Kristoff." Her voice softened into a pleading whisper. "I still feel awful about what happened earlier. I was really hoping you’d come with me."

"Don’t worry," Kristoff assured her. "I’ll head over first thing in the morning."

...

Charlotte groaned and buried her head beneath her pillow, pressing it tightly over her ears in a futile attempt to drown out the relentless whirring outside.

It didn’t help.

The noise only grew louder, the rhythmic thumping of rotor blades vibrating through the walls of the villa.

"For heaven’s sake!" she snapped, her patience finally breaking. "Can’t people let others have a moment of peace and quiet?"

Without opening her eyes, she snatched another pillow and hurled it toward the bedroom door just as it swung open.

Thump.

The pillow struck a solid chest before dropping harmlessly onto the floor.

Kristoff stood in the doorway, blinking in surprise.

He had knocked several times, but when Charlotte failed to respond, he had let himself in.

Oblivious to his presence, Charlotte continued her tantrum, grabbing another pillow and tossing it across the room.

"What’s giving you such a hard time this early in the morning?"

The familiar deep, velvety voice made Charlotte freeze.

Her eyes flew open.

"Kristoff?" She shot upright in bed, her irritation instantly replaced by surprise. "When did you get here?"

Kristoff simply smiled before walking past the bed toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. With one smooth motion, he drew the curtains apart.

"Just a few minutes ago."

Sunlight flooded the room.

Charlotte followed his gaze.

Across the property, a sleek black helicopter was settling onto the rooftop helipad of the neighboring villa. Its spinning blades whipped the morning air into a frenzy, sending leaves and dust swirling below.

Kristoff folded his arms.

"It looks like your new neighbor has arrived." 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed.

"Neighbor? Who?"

"The Fosters."

That villa belonged to Morgan Foster.

From where he stood, Kristoff couldn’t make out the faces of the people stepping out of the helicopter. The distance was too great. Still, he assumed it was Morgan and his family returning home.

Only after the helicopter lifted off again and the deafening roar of its blades faded into the distance did Kristoff tear his gaze away from the neighboring villa.

He turned to Charlotte.

She was sitting on the bed, her long hair hopelessly tousled, her face still etched with lack of sleep and irritation.

"You should get some more sleep," Kristoff said softly as he headed for the door.

Charlotte frowned.

"And where are you going?"

"To the roof deck," he replied without stopping. "I am going to check on something."

...

Kristoff made his way to the roof deck and rested both hands on the railing.

From there, the neighboring villa stood in full view, its sprawling grounds stretching all the way to the pristine shoreline.

Minutes later, the back doors opened.

A small group emerged from the villa and made their way toward the beach at an unhurried pace.

The morning sun bathed the shoreline in glitters. Gentle waves rolled onto the powdery white sand before retreating, leaving behind a shimmering trail. It looked peaceful—almost idyllic.

Kristoff narrowed his eyes, but the distance blurred their faces.

Then he remembered.

There was a high-powered telescope mounted at one corner of the roof deck.

He crossed over, adjusted the focus, and peered through the lens.

The blurry figures sharpened.

The first person he recognized was Isobel.

She wore a modest one-piece swimsuit with a light cover-up draped loosely over her shoulders. Cradled securely in her arms was a baby, who seemed perfectly content, tiny fingers clutching at her swimsuit.

Walking beside her was another young woman carrying the second baby, while a third trailed behind with an oversized beach tote filled with towels and toys.

A moment later, Morgan and Kristene stepped into view.

Their fingers were intertwined.

They walked side by side without speaking, their footsteps sinking into the soft sand, leaving a single winding trail behind them. Every so often, Morgan would glance at Kristine, and she would answer with an easy smile that spoke of quiet familiarity rather than grand affection.

Kristoff remained silent behind the telescope.

For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, he continued watching long after he had identified everyone.