In a room that was more shadows than light, two people were all tangled up in the sheets of a huge, comfy bed, totally into each other.

The guy's back was like a work of art with all the marks from the girl's nails — a mix of hot and a bit of ouch.

Liam had just gotten back from being away for weeks, and he was like a starving wolf, all over Charlotte, with this intense need.

In the heat of the moment, Charlotte bit into his neck pretty hard.

Liam let out a hiss, half hurt, half annoyed, "What's with you, biting like a wild thing?"

Charlotte was panting hard, moving under him, trying to tell him without words that she needed him to ease up a bit.

She knew how to play this game, knew just how to make him feel good.

"Mr. Parker," she gasped, her muscles burning, "Can we take a quick break?"

Liam stopped for a moment but then kept going like she hadn't said a thing.

"Do you like cash?" he asked while still in the groove.

Charlotte caught her breath, "Yeah."

"Then hush."

He looked down at her.

She was all curves and soft looks, gorgeous in a simple kind of way.

Her brown hair framed her small face, and she was usually so innocent-looking but now seemed to be up for some trouble.

When things got steamy, her lips would part just so, like she was calling him without saying a word.

All of it pulled at his heartstrings, his affection undeniable, yet...

Liam's mood darkened as old memories crept in.

"I'll give you three hundred thousand."

Charlotte's eyes lit up for a second, thinking about the cash, but she was also deep in thought.

Three hundred grand was a big step towards what she needed.

Liam saw her reaction and felt a spark of anger, "Is money all you're after?"

No, that wasn't it.

She wanted him, his love, really.

But that was impossible.

Charlotte half-opened her eyes and looked up at Liam.

He was all high-class chill, the big shot, the guy with all the power, and for her—a way out.

…

Half a year back, her dad got them into a mess with his gambling and mistakes, and now her family was in deep trouble.

Threats had sent her racing home, only to be knocked out and wake up here, in Liam's bed.

Word was, she looked like someone Liam used to be with.

Then, a phone call smashed the silence. Charlotte took the chance to wash away the night and grabbed the phone in the bathroom.

"Lottie, can you help out? Your dad's business is tanking, and we're in deep. Can you..."

"Mom, why can't you see he's just gambling again? It's always the same, isn't it?" Charlotte saw the signs of last night in the mirror, frustration written all over her face.

"It's business! Your dad's just trying to make things work. When he hits it big, you'll be proud, and it'll help you find a good guy. Don't worry about us; just get back after work."

The line went dead. Charlotte took a deep breath, bracing herself to go back out there.

Since she was a kid, Charlotte had to be the one holding her family together. She did all the chores and put up with a lot, but no matter what, her dad never seemed happy with her. Whenever he lost money, he'd take it out on her.

She always tried to protect her mom, but in the end, her own dad double-crossed her, using her to pay off the debts he racked up.

Staying meant losing a little more of herself every day.

She had to get out!

For that, she needed cash.

So when it came to what happened with her and Liam, she didn't kick up a fuss. She just quietly took the money he offered.

She crawled back into bed and hung onto Liam, asking, "Mr. Parker, can we make it another two hundred grand for what I went through tonight?"

An irritated click of the tongue was his only reply.

He gently cupped Charlotte's chin, his gaze lingering on her cheeks that blushed prettily as if kissed by the rosy fingers of dawn.

She was a vision of loveliness, her peach-blossom eyes always brimming with unspoken tales of the heart.

Her lips, shiny and full, would make anyone look twice, and her eyelashes were wet from crying a little while ago because he had been a bit too rough.

She had somehow found a spot in his life without even trying.

But her eyes always seemed to be looking for cash, and she kept making one bad decision after another.

Liam's face got hard and cold. "Are you just with me for the cash, Charlotte? Is that all this is to you?"

His words were harsh and unfair.

Charlotte got a worried look on her face. After all, it was Liam who turned love into something you could buy, and it was Robert who made sure she ended up in Liam's bed.

If she hadn't taken the offer, someone else would have.

This was just a deal that helped both sides, so how could he blame her for wanting something more from life?

"Mr. Parker, shall we proceed?" Her eyes lowered, she inquired, her voice a hushed whisper of silk.

"You truly are beyond reason!" he exclaimed.

As his words dissipated into the tension between them, his robust form descended upon her once more, a storm cloaked in stillness.

——

Charlotte woke up feeling sore all over like she had spent the night sleeping on rocks.

She checked her bank account on her phone and saw that it had $1.7 million in it.

She only needed $300,000 more to finally find her sister's location.

The sale of her innocence was fueled by this singular goal.

Memories of her sister sent away in their youth gripped her heart with a vice of anguish – her sister had made sacrifices for her...

Liam had sent her a text: "Time to get to work! You know what you need to do after getting paid. Don't forget your duties!"

His words hurt, but she was used to it by now.

On top of everything else, she still had her regular job as the CEO's assistant.

Charlotte got ready quickly and managed to get to work on TimeTime.

She went straight to the 24th floor and into the pantry. After making the coffee, she knocked on the CEO's office door, waiting for Liam's secretary to give her the go-ahead before putting the coffee down on his desk.

"Mr. Parker, your usual Mantenian coffee, deep roast, exactly 208°F, black, no sugar, no cream,"

She said, making sure everything was just right.

Liam didn't say anything until after he tried the coffee. Then he looked at her with a cold expression. "It's too hot, do it over."

"Right away."

Charlotte went back to the pantry and started making a new cup of coffee.

"Make one for me, too, while you're at it," someone else ordered.

She was used to these kinds of tasks by now.

"Hey." another woman came in and saw Charlotte by the coffee machine. "Charlotte, clean up my desk later, okay? There are crumbs everywhere."

"You'll take care of it after that. Can't I ask you to do something?"

The woman sounded annoyed, "Look, you got your job with that basic degree, which is like hitting the jackpot. Be happy about it. What do you think you're here for? Making coffee isn't some big win, you know?"

"I'll get to your desk when I'm done here," Charlotte responded.

The woman was the deputy manager, so Charlotte knew she had to be careful.

"Just clean it now! How long does it take to wipe down a desk, really?"

While she was talking, the woman pushed past Charlotte, causing her to spill some of the hot water on her hand, leaving a painful red mark.

Charlotte was about to retaliate when a trembling voice from behind intervened.

"Mr. Parker."

From mere yards away, Charlotte discerned his mood with ease.

Liam carried an air of haughty detachment, his frosty demeanor laced with a hint of mockery.

The woman, fearing an escalation, quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "Careful, Mr. Parker, the floor here is quite slippery."

Liam spared a cold glance before making his exit, leaving the tension in his wake.

Once he was gone, the woman's arrogance returned in full force.

"Who do you think you are, a wildflower aspiring to bloom among the clouds? Do you think by brewing coffee for Mr. Parker, he'll favor you? Dream on!"

Charlotte absorbed the insult and turned back to her task.

She knew better than to harbor fanciful dreams.

Money was all he would give her and all she could accept.

…

"Charlotte, are you okay? It's not like Mr. Parker to visit the break room. I thought he came specially to back you up," a colleague remarked.

At that, Charlotte hesitated, a few drops of coffee spilling over and scalding her hand.

"Why would Mr. Parker come to my defense? You're all reading too much into it."

"True, he's never been particularly kind to you, but he's known for his strict management. It's surprising he let the deputy manager's behavior slide."

In reality, such incidents were commonplace in the executive office, with many newcomers subjected to the deputy manager's whims.

It's just another unwritten rule of the workplace: endure if you can, and certainly don't expect anyone to speak up for you.

Especially for Charlotte, with her modest educational background, many believed she landed the job through an improper relationship with Liam and looked down on her.

To everyone's surprise, Mr. Parker seemed utterly indifferent to her.

Gradually, the office's attitude towards Charlotte shifted, with the hostility towards her noticeably waning.

"That afternoon, as usual, Charlotte went to deliver coffee to Liam. She knocked and entered, catching him in conversation with the HR manager.

"Dismiss her immediately. I don't want to see her again."

"Yes, Mr. Parker."

Liam's face flickered with something unreadable when he saw Charlotte.

"What did you hear?" he asked.

"I..."

Before she could respond, he cut her off sharply, "This is about company governance, nothing to do with you."

Charlotte bit her lip in acknowledgment, stepping out with the coffee. She couldn't help but wonder, who was being dismissed? Who did Liam no longer wish to see?

She saw the usually brash deputy manager packing up her desk dejectedly in the secretarial office.

Through office chatter, Charlotte learned that the deputy manager was terminated for workplace bullying.

So, it was the deputy manager whom Liam had dismissed.

Was it for her sake? Charlotte stared at her burned hand, lost in thought.

Then she remembered Liam's words: it's just company governance, nothing to do with you.

Indeed, he was a man who ran a tight ship, never tolerating bullies to linger in the corridors of the company.

For the company's sake, not hers.

Charlotte thought with a self-deprecating smile. How could she ever think that Liam was concerned about her troubles with the deputy manager?

——

After navigating through the day's barrage of tasks, Charlotte clocked out and spent over twenty minutes just to squeeze onto the bus.

She made a detour to the bank, withdrew all her wages, and handed the cash to Maria at home, saying, "This is the last time I'm giving you money, and the last time I'm asking you, Mom, are you coming with me or not?"

Maria accepted the money, nodding in agreement.

But Charlotte read through her mother's half-hearted assurances, another stalling tactic.

"The last time Robert gambled with fury, he gambled away my innocence, Mother. You know very well where I scraped up the money from. If you want to ruin my life for good, then stay here."

Maria's face froze, her fingers anxiously wrinkling the cash.

"Your father mentioned... he said that gentleman is tall and handsome, and you like him a lot. You two get along so well... Lottie. Just marry him, and you'll live a good life! Then I'll make sure to stay away from your father. I won't be a burden to you anymore!"

Maria's voice was tinged with guilt and hope.

Charlotte took a deep breath, "Do you think I'm well-matched with him?"

Would Liam cherish a woman bought with money?

Would Liam's family ever accept a woman with such a background?

The answer was clear: it was absolutely impossible.

"Lottie, don't say that..."

"I know you resent your father; it's all his fault; he deserves to die! But didn't he do everything for you? He spoiled you, sent you to Parker Group, offering you such a bright future..."

Charlotte felt like laughing but instead found herself crying.

There she was, waking up in Liam's bed, and he was just casually dropping a cool half a million into Robert's account right in front of her. The next thing she knew, she was working at Parker Group as his assistant.

She turned to her mom, her voice soft but heavy, "Mom, wasn't handing over my sister bad enough? Now you gotta throw me into the mix?"

The room went quiet, and then her mom, Maria, started crying, "I'm so sorry, Lottie. Bringing you into this world, into this messed-up family... I'm the worst. I've let you down too many times."

Once, they were a seemingly happy family. Although Robert favored sons over daughters, the girls were neglected but never wanted for anything.

But then, Maria finally had a son who was born weak and immediately placed in an incubator.

Robert's mounting debts had turned him into a tempest of fury. Not only did he unleash his rage on Maria with his fists, but in a desperate bid to scrape together funds for their ailing son's medical expenses, he had traded their second daughter's future for a few thousand dollars.

Maria battered in body and spirit, was compelled to toil away to keep the family afloat while Robert squandered their meager earnings on debauchery, venting his displeasure through violence upon his wife and daughters.

Charlotte had often dreamed of rescuing her mother from this den of despair, but her mother's excuses always anchored them there, "Your father will change," "What would people say if I divorced at my age?" "What about your brother if we leave?"

Hearing her mother's sobs, Charlotte battled with the urge to walk out.

Then her mom, through her tears, hit her with a bombshell, "Lend me a hundred grand, Lottie. That's all we owe on the house. Think of it as a loan. I can't take this life anymore. Help me this one last time, and when I get the house to your brother's name, I'll leave with you."

For the first time, Maria was willing to leave, and after much deliberation, Charlotte agreed.

With the additional hundred thousand that Maria requested, Charlotte faced a shortfall of four hundred thousand.

A sum she could only hope to obtain from Liam.

That evening, Liam returned early, flinging his coat at Charlotte so abruptly that she flailed to free herself from its heavy folds.

She routinely checked his pockets before they went for laundry, ensuring nothing important was accidentally taken.

A cool, unexpected object met her fingertips. In surprise, she pulled out a tube of burn ointment from the pocket.

Was it for her?

Unsure, Charlotte approached Liam with the ointment in hand. "Mr. Parker, what should I do with this?"

He barely looked up. "Daniel put it there. Keep it if you want."

Daniel, Liam's rich buddy, was all about the high-end stuff.

Charlotte found out the cream was worth a ton—over two grand.

She couldn't just take it, but she couldn't say no, either.

So, she gave Liam the money before she used it.

But as soon as she opened the cream,

Liam grabbed it and stomped it flat.

"Two grand, really?" He was all up in her face. "You think I care about the cash?"

"Charlotte!" His words were like ice. "Do you price out everything?"

She wanted to set things straight, but he was already out the door.

——

Liam didn't come back all night.

The next morning, Charlotte was bringing in his coffee and heard him on the phone, talking all soft, "We'll sort it when you're here. Whatever you need, it's done."

He saw Charlotte and got snappy. "Drop the coffee and get out. How long you gonna stand there?"

She left without a word.

As she was leaving, she bumped into Daniel entering the house. His gaze fell on her hands. "It works, doesn't it? I only gave it because Liam asked. I wouldn't bother for anyone else..."

Just then, Liam yelled from inside, and Daniel got why he was mad. He looked at Charlotte, confused. "You didn't use the cream?"