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“Go away and never return!” William’s voice rang out, sharp and biting, as he loomed over Charlotte one afternoon when Astor wasn't home.

He came back.

Charlotte refused to back down, even as her chest tightened. She squared her shoulders, holding her ground against his towering presence. “You don’t get to tell me what to do,” she said, her voice unshaken despite the unease creeping in.

William’s lips curled into a smirk. “Don’t test me, Charlotte. You think you’ve walked into some fairytale here, but you’re mistaken.”

“Fairytale?” Charlotte shot back, her tone laced with sarcasm. “You think I’m here for fun?”

William’s smirk faded, replaced by a cold,...