Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

The morning before Walter's big birthday party, Clara still hadn't seen Dylan. She kept asking the staff about him, but all they'd say was that he was busy. The longer it went on, the more it bothered her-how could he stay mad this long?

She finally gave in and called Charles again. He was outside the manor at the time, half-heartedly pulling at weeds, looking bored out of his mind.

As he worked, one of the men passed by and called out, sounding barely interested. “Get ready. Walter's turning eighty, and this year the Chester family is expanding the business to Country Z. Mitch and I are both going. What about you? Are you coming with us?"

Charles had been stuck at home for days, thanks to a strict order from his eldest brother-two full weeks of house arrest before he could leave. He'd planned to wait it out, then head to Country Z to find Clara. But now, with his brother and Mitch both going, this was his shot.

He almost jumped up in excitement. "When are we leaving? Seriously, I'm ready! Just say the word!"

His brother couldn't help but smile a little at Charles's enthusiasm. Charles had always been different from a typical younger brother. On the surface, he played the clueless guy who just hung out with the dogs. In reality, he'd quietly solved more problems for the family than anyone realized. Nobody really saw both sides of him, but the Chester family had learned to use that hidden strength well. "An hour from now. I've already filed the flight plan," his brother said.

Charles whooped and practically bounced away to pack.

He had his own wing in the Chester house, though it wasn't filled with expensive things-just boxes and shelves crammed with his brothers' old toys. He dug through them, trying to figure out what he could bring for Clara as a gift.

When his brother came in, he found Charles standing in front of a pile of dog toys, looking completely lost. Charles was tall-six foot two-and if he kept quiet, he looked kind of intimidating. But the second he spoke, the innocence in his eyes gave him away.

His brother sipped his coffee, watching as Charles picked up one toy after another, making a face and tossing each aside.

"What are you doing, Charlie?" he asked.

"Looking for something to give Clara. I don't think I have anything valuable here. Do you have anything?"

If only Charles knew-his brother's collection was worth a fortune.

His brother rubbed his brow and sighed. "Come with me."

He kept his valuable stuff in a private vault, one that needed a special key—a room he almost never opened. But for Charles, he made an exception.

Charles, as always, didn't get what a big deal it was. To him, nothing in there could ever be more precious than his brothers. And now, Clara was on that list too.

His brother, still holding his coffee, led the way. The family doctor stood nearby watching as Charles wandered through row after row of priceless collectibles, still searching, still unsure.

The doctor couldn't help but say, "These are your most valuable things, sir. If something happens to them..."

His brother glanced at Charles, a small smile on his lips. "He wants company, wants things we can't give. But money? The Chester family has more than enough."

The doctor sighed. "If Miss Clara finds out, she's going to be jealous again."

She'd tried to get her hands on things from this vault more than once.

His brother rubbed his brow again. "If she didn't always get into trouble, I wouldn't need to hide the key. Every time she messes up, she blames Charlie, and now everyone thinks he's bad luck."

But even so, he never really stopped her. After all, one was his real sister, the other just the family's secret weapon. He knew where his loyalty was supposed to be. noveldrama

So the saying was true: the Chester family couldn't give Charles love, but with all

their money, they could always find something to make up for it.