Chapter 3: For A Man Who Had Rejected Her?

She went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face, taking care not to ruin her makeup. Pulling herself together, she headed out, thinking of what to do next. There was no way she was going to give up on Edward so easily. Despite everything she had said to him, she knew they were meant to be together. The problem was figuring out how she was going to convince him to realize it. And the partnership, well, that would just have to wait.

Just as she got back to her office, the phone rang. She wanted to ignore it, but it could be something important, so she reluctantly picked it up.

“Charlotte, could you please come to my office?” Floyd said.

Charlotte’s hands shook as she put the phone down. It wasn’t even ten in the morning, and not only had she apparently lost the love of her life and a promotion, but she was also probably getting fired. And she needed the job. Desperately.

When her father died ten years ago, he left behind more debts than assets, especially with the girls’ school charity he ran. Charlotte had to step up and manage his estate without even being of age since her mother was clueless about how money worked. All she knew was how to spend it. And at the time, she had been so grieved after her husband’s passing that there wasn’t much she could have done anyway. So Charlotte aged ten years in the span of a few months and did what had to be done.

Not only did Charlotte manage to save her family home and the charity after negotiating with the debtors, but she managed to work her way through college and law school. Now she was still paying off all of THOSE debts and trying to keep her father’s charity afloat, as well as financially supporting her mother. On the outside, the two living members of the ancient and respected Astor family were doing well, despite the obvious problems that came along when Charles Astor died prematurely. And it was all thanks to Charlotte.

Now she was at risk of losing it all.

Before she left her office, she tried to compose herself. Maybe she could convince Floyd to let her stay. She had, after all, brought in the most clients this month, and there were a lot of cases that only she could manage. But she wasn’t going to beg. There were a lot of things Charlotte would do to survive: work ten-hour shifts at the college library and then do some bartending on the weekends while still going to class and acing all her tests, clean her mother’s house when they couldn’t afford to pay for a cleaning lady, and even mow the front lawn so people wouldn’t find out about their financial struggles. But one thing she would never do was beg.

She walked down the hallway to Floyd’s office as if her mind wasn’t racing with all the possible outcomes. The door was open, so she walked right in. Her heart sank when she saw that man, Logan, sitting on the chair in front of Floyd’s desk. He had definitely told Floyd what happened, and she was most likely fired.

“Charlotte, I believe you know Logan Hamilton, from Hamilton industries,” Floyd said, gesturing for her to sit down next to Logan. “You met him briefly today?”

Hamilton industries. It couldn’t be…

Logan didn’t even look in her direction. He seemed to be enthralled by the blue sky visible through the glass window behind Floyd.

This man wasn’t a client. He was the owner of the building where the law firm operated and Atlanta’s most wealthy man. Hell, he was one of the richest men in the country if rumors were to be believed. He was a relative newcomer to Atlanta and didn’t participate in any of the recurring society events that took place among the wealthy in the city, so there was no way she could have known what he looked like. 

“Is that what he said?” Charlotte said, careful not to give away anything.

“Well, it seems like you certainly made an impression. I’d like you to drop the Sterling and Monroe cases immediately.”

“But we’re so close to reaching an out-of-court agreement,” Charlotte said tentatively, hoping that might sway Floyd in her favor. But he shook his head and then glanced at his watch.

“I’m sorry, Charlotte. I know you’ve done a great job with the two cases, but it’s time to let go. And on that note, it’s me who has to get going.” Floyd stood and grabbed his wallet and car keys from the desk.

It was hard to stay upright. All Charlotte wanted to do was run out and cry until there were no tears left in her body. All her hard work was going out the drain, and for what? For a man who had just rejected her?

“So, you’re just letting me go like that?”

“Oh, no, honey, you’ll still be based here. Unless Mr. Hamilton wants you to relocate to his offices on the upper floors?”

Relocate? There was something she was clearly not understanding. Was she fired or not?

“I’m sorry, what… why would I relocate?” she said.

“I thought you spoke with her,” Floyd said, eyes bouncing between Charlotte and Logan.

“Perhaps I… wasn’t very clear about it,” Logan said, finally prying his eyes away from the window.

“Well, I must really get going. I’m expected at the club in ten minutes. I’ll leave you two to discuss the arrangements. Oh, and Charlotte, dear, please show Edward around if he has any questions. You two are friends, aren’t you?”

With that, Floyd left the office. On his way out, he glanced at the book Charlotte had thrown at Edward. It was still lying on the floor next to the door. The sting of Edward’s rejection sent a pang of pain through her heart at the mention of his name.

“What was that all about?” Charlotte said the minute the door was closed. “What arrangements?”

“I’ve just hired the firm to manage Hamilton Industries, and I requested you handle our portfolio,” Logan said, standing and buttoning up his suit. He reached into the inner pocket and pulled out a business card. He extended the card towards Charlotte. “Call my assistant and arrange a meeting for tomorrow after lunch. Perhaps… you should take the day off today. It has certainly been an eventful morning, and it’s not even ten.” He laughed with that annoying crooked smile of his.

“I thought he was firing me,” Charlotte said, taking the card. It was one of those elegantly embossed ones with a black, sleek typeface that she had meant to get for herself but never got around to do it. There was another number below it, a longer one, that suggested Logan had one of those new expensive mobile phones.

“I told you I would keep your secret,” Logan said, winking at her.

“But I didn’t agree to this. I don’t want to leave my cases or relocate.”

“So you can be close to that guy? Edward, I believe? Damn, even his name is boring.”

“It has nothing to do with Edward!” Charlotte said, trying to hand Logan’s card back to him. While she was glad she wasn’t fired, she hadn’t wanted this either. For one, she wasn’t specialized in corporate law, and there was no way she’d work closely with a guy like Logan.

Everything about him screamed scandalous in a way her mother wouldn’t approve of, and even if she had tried to rid herself of her mother’s prejudices, old habits die hard. He was obviously new money through and through. No one with decent manners would mention her scene with Edward so casually and make fun of her because of it.

“Keep it. I have a feeling you’ll be needing it. See you tomorrow,” he said and left the office too.