Titan 108

Seeing that Charles showed no reaction, Yolanda lowered her head. “Or we could just head to the neighboring city. I checked with Jack about your travel plans, and I saw that you’ve got a business trip coming up there. There’s this famous temple fair happening right now, and I’m really interested in it.”

She knew for sure Charles wouldn’t want to go abroad with her, so she pivoted tactically.

Charles just grunted, swiping his phone. “We’ll leave soon.”

He really did have a meeting scheduled in the neighboring city, a collaboration with the Andrade family–and Vivian would be there too.

As Yolanda got into the car with him, she got a text message from Ian.

[“I’m heading out tonight too. I’ll be filming in the neighboring city, and Ms. Sinclair will be there.”]

‘Well, isn’t that perfect timing, Yolanda thought.

Yolanda texted back, “Don’t tell me it’s the Starlight Hotel.”

Ian replied, [“You got it. Am I interrupting you and your husband?“]

Yolanda couldn’t help but smile. When she looked up, she noticed Charles watching her.

Her smile faded a bit, and she turned to look out the window.

If she tried to explain who she was texting now, it would just make her look guilty, so she stayed quiet.

Charles kept his cool, eyes still on his laptop as he spoke gently. “You’ve been pretty glued to your phone lately, haven’t you?”

Yolanda replied smoothly, “Just work stuff.”

She let out a tired yawn, faint dark circles under her eyes. “I haven’t started at Starlight Entertainment yet, so I’m just trying to get a sense of how things work over there.”

Charles scooped her into his arms and teasingly pinched her waist. “Look at you, all serious about this.”

‘Seriously? He always acts like everything I do is just some little game,‘ Yolanda grumbled to herself. ‘And the worst part is… he’s not wrong.’

She lowered her head and closed her eyes. “Not like you, always busy running the world.”

Four hours later, the car pulled up to the city’s best hotel. But when Yolanda saw who was waiting outside, her mood soured–it was Vivian.

Vivian probably hadn’t expected Yolanda to come along. She tucked her hair behind her ear and started toward Charles’s car, but when she saw Yolanda get out with him, she stopped short, her eyes flashing with hostility.

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Charles had never brought Yolanda on a business trip before.

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Vivian quickly put on a smile and walked up to Charles. “Well, Mr. Sinclair, bringing your wife along this time? That’s pretty rare.”

Charles’s lips curled into a faint smile as he looked her over and then glanced away. “All healed up?”

“All recovered, thanks for your concern. The meeting room’s set up–let’s go,” Vivian said.

Yolanda deliberately fell a step behind, watching Vivian stand close to Charles, talking to him with her head tipped up, her eyes full of obvious longing she couldn’t hide.

‘No way Charles missed that, Yolanda thought. ‘He’s such a smooth operator when it comes to women–he’s seen that look a thousand times.‘

But when Vivian called, he always came running.

Still, when it came to all his lovers, he treated them better than he ever treated me, his own wife.

As the group crowded into the elevator, along with a few executives from both sides, it quickly got cramped.

Vivian squeezed in next to Charles, glancing at Yolanda, who was still outside.

“No room left. Mrs. Sinclair, why don’t you wait for the next one?” Vivian said.

Yolanda just smiled. “Sure.”

As soon as the elevator doors slid shut, Vivian let out a mocking laugh. “Such a goody two–shoes, huh? Mr. Sinclair, did you bring her along just for a little entertainment when you’re tired?”

Charles’s expression clouded over, his gaze turning icy.

Vivian instantly realized she’d gone too far and rushed to apologize, her tone a little nervous. “Hey, come on, don’t take it so seriously. I was just joking, okay?”

Everyone headed off to their own rooms. There were two conference rooms on this floor for everyone to use -the meeting would be starting soon.

Naturally, Charles and Yolanda were sharing a room. Jack dropped off their luggage and heard Charles say, “When Yolanda comes in, make sure she gets a room key.”

“Understood, Mr. Sinclair,” Jack said.

Charles changed into a new suit and made his way toward the conference room.

But as he passed Vivian’s room, she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. Rising up on her toes, she gave him a quick, heated kiss. “You really are so cold–hearted! I was stuck in the hospital forever, and not once did

you come see me.”

Charles slipped a hand around her waist and gave it a teasing pinch. “Hey, you’re still alive, aren’t you? You’ve definitely gotten skinnier.”

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Vivian tried to go in for another kiss, but Charles stepped back and gently pushed her away, checked his watch, and said coolly, “Meeting time.”

Vivian’s face fell, but she knew better than to overstep. Charles hated drama from his lovers–everything had to go according to his rules and timing.

She’d known Charles for years and understood exactly how he operated.

She flipped her hair and said, “Alright, I know how much this project means to you. Let’s go.”

Charles opened the door and saw Simone Sinclair standing outside. He stopped in his tracks. “Aunt Simone.”

With so many people from both Simone’s side and Charles’s, the whole floor felt like their territory. She hadn’t expected to bump into Charles here.

“Charles, are you here on business?” Simone asked.

She looked Vivian up and down, not hiding her annoyance. “Whose room is this, anyway?”

Charles noticed a faint lipstick stain on his lips and brushed it off with barely a care. “Vivian’s room,” he said. “I’ve got a meeting now–let’s meet up downstairs for dinner later?”

Simone wanted to say something, but with Vivian standing right there, she thought better of it. ‘No point causing a scene when both families are watching,’ she mused to herself.

She flashed a polite, but clearly strained, smile. “Of course. I’ll bring along the main actors from the new project—if that’s alright with you?”

“That’s fine,” Charles said.

As soon as Charles and Vivian left, Simone ran a hand through her hair in exasperation. ‘He’s being so reckless, getting mixed up with a girl from the Andrade family. What is he even thinking?‘

Simone never liked Vivian. At the core of it, she thought Vivian’s methods were just too morally dubious.

And with Grady and Cedric behind her–both of them more ruthless than the last–Vivian was trouble, plain and simple.

Simone lit up a cigarette, feeling restless and annoyed. As she walked down the hallway, she came face to face with Yolanda stepping out of the elevator.

Simone was visibly startled, “Yolanda? You’re here too?”

Yolanda called out sweetly, “Aunt Simone.”

Simone was so shocked she nearly choked on her cigarette. She grabbed her phone and fired off a text to Charles on the spot.

[You brought Yolanda with you on this trip, then came strolling out of a room with Vivian? Do you really think Yolanda’s that oblivious? Charles, I’m telling you–you’re playing with fire here. Don’t let this kind of thing blow up out in the open. Yolanda’s a good kid. Even if you don’t care about her, don’t treat her like this!]

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She’d said the same things to him before, but Charles always just brushed her off, never giving a real reply.

Sometimes it drove her crazy. ‘Why did the Sinclair family make Charles so handsome but give him a heart that just can’t settle down?‘ she grumbled to herself.

Yolanda wasn’t clueless; she could pretty much guess what had happened, but she just flashed a carefree smile and said, “Aunt Simone, Charles brought me over for a ten–day getaway. I heard there’s this temple fair happening, so that’s really what I’m here for–I couldn’t pass that up.”

Simone gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Well, when you’ve got some free time, go check on Ian. Honestly, you should hire a few more people for your studio. Ian’s always stuck there by himself–it breaks my heart to see him like that.”

“Yeah, but let’s keep that between us,” Yolanda replied.

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