The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 234

The warm compress rested gently over her wrist, soothing the throbbing ache away.

Charley's voice was soft. "You said all you wanted was to beat him. Now that you have, why aren't you happy?"

She didn't answer.

He looked up, watching her quietly for a long moment before speaking again. "You're the winner. He's the loser. Let him bark all he wants; treat it as cheap entertainment. Don't let him drag you down."

He reached out and lightly ruffled her hair.

"What would you do if it were you?" she asked, meeting his gaze.

"Savor the opponent's defeat like a glass of fine wine." He paused. "And if he barks again, make sure he can never bark again."

The calm ruthlessness of his words stunned her.

Charley offered a faint, warm smile. "Don't look at me like that. You're staring at me like I'm the villain."

She tilted her head. "Are you?"

"Not to you, I promise."

"It doesn't hurt to be a little ruthless to bad people," she murmured, leaning slightly closer. "I want to be ruthless, too."

"No, you don't." He lowered his eyes, gently massaging the bruised skin on her wrist with the warm compress.

Lavinia watched him. With his eyes cast downward, she realized just how long and thick his eyelashes were.

His features were already strikingly sculpted, his deep-set eyes catching the faint shadows of his lashes, making his gaze seem even more intense.

*He's so gorgeous. Does he have mixed heritage?* she wondered silently.

Once the swelling went down, Charley stood and went into the kitchen. He poured her a mug of mulled wine, then expertly sliced some Iberian ham and melon, arranging it beautifully on a charcuterie board before bringing it to her.

He was incredibly good at using comfort food to cheer women up. *He's definitely dated before,* Lavinia thought. *No one is naturally this gentle and attentive.*

"What was your ex-girlfriend like, Charley? She was beautiful and brilliant, wasn't she?" she asked curiously.

"I've never had a girlfriend. Stop overthinking," he replied directly.

He pulled a stack of documents from the nearby shelf.

"Eat while I explain." He flipped open the pages. "I've put some thought into the operational structure for the charity foundation you showed me."

Lavinia nodded, taking a bite of melon.

Excluding the real estate, shares, and jewelry, Judith had three hundred million in liquid cash.

That sum had likely far exceeded the wildest expectations of the Harper men.

The original blueprint for the foundation was something Lavinia had thrown together. It was her first time attempting anything like this, and feeling out of her depth, she had asked Charley for advice.

She planned to use the capital to establish The Judith Gilmore Charitable Foundation, carrying out philanthropic work in her name.

Sigrid threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you! You're the best. Even if I lose the whole world, as long as I have you, I have everything."

Garnett stared out the window. The streetlamps flickered to life one by one, trailing into the distance like endless parallel lines fading into the dark.

He stayed silent.

Sigrid tilted her head, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper. "Want to go get a drink?"

He hesitated.

"Alright."

He gently detached her arms and started the engine. The luxury car glided silently into the night.

Sigrid watched the passing city lights, thinking Blossom City had never looked so beautiful.

Who cared about a job? If it got her exactly what she truly wanted, it was worth every sacrifice.

Meanwhile, Garnett stared at the illuminated road ahead, but his mind kept aggressively replaying the image of Lavinia's pale, radiant face under the fireworks from that night.

How could you hold onto a spark that had already burned out?

Especially when she had never loved him in the first place.

Never.