The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 1636

“What’s got you smiling like that?”

Anthony had already set out her clothes. He walked into the bathroom, slipped his arms around her from behind, and rested his chin lightly on Charlotte’s shoulder. In the mirror, his eyes watched her every move, intent on catching her expression.

“It’s nothing,” Charlotte replied, lifting her brows with that calm, teasing air. She looked away, pretending not to care.

Anthony leaned in closer and gently bit her earlobe. His voice came out low and rough. “Liar.”

Charlotte spat out her mouthful of toothpaste, turned to poke Anthony’s cheek, and scoffed, “Are you a dog or something?”

“If you say so, then sure,” Anthony replied.

He took the toothbrush from her, grabbed a towel to cover the sink, and easily lifted her to sit on the counter.

Charlotte automatically clung to his shoulders. Before she could even process it, Anthony’s hand cradled the back of her neck, guiding her gently down.

Then his lips brushed hers, warm and confident. His scent filled her senses, the intensity making her thoughts scatter for a moment.

“This is for last night,” he murmured.

Last night?

Charlotte blinked, confused, then remembered. Right, after he proposed, Anthony had tried to kiss her, but she was too worried about the chicken wings and ended up pushing him away. She didn’t expect him to still remember that, not after all this time.

“Oh, well, go ahead,” she said quietly, relaxing in his hold. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, letting her smile show as she teased, “But if you start something you can’t finish, you’ll only be making things tough on yourself.”

Karan looked miserable. Shirley pressed her lips together and didn’t say a word. Even though Mr. Lane had stepped in to keep the drama from the competition under wraps, and Karan didn’t get any real punishment, her reputation had already taken a nosedive. She especially didn’t have the nerve to show up in front of Mr. Lane anymore.

As Shirley glanced over, Karan’s gaze locked with hers. Karan hugged her stuff tightly, glaring coldly. “What, feeling proud of yourself now?” she snapped.

Shirley just sent her a quick look, gave a small frown, and walked past without answering. There was no point wasting time on people like her. That was something Charlotte had taught her—save your energy for what matters.

“Shirley…” Behind her, Karan’s voice cut through the silence. Clearly, being ignored made her even angrier. She turned sharply, staring at Shirley’s back and forcing out her words through gritted teeth. “That position at Apex is a big deal. You’d better hang onto it and not mess up.”

Shirley paused for a second, unsure what Karan was getting at, and shot back, “If I was good enough to win it, I’m good enough to keep it. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Let’s hope so,” Karan replied, her eyes colder than ever, a sly smile creeping onto her lips.