Chapter 12
Charlotte stood at the front of a dilapidated classroom in rural Tanzania, guiding a group of elementary students through a basic English reading lesson.
The wooden floorboards creaked beneath her feet, and the afternoon sun streamed through windows that had no glass–just wooden shutters that could be closed during the frequent storms ||
Let’s try once inore, she encouraged, pointing to the simple text on the chalkboard. “The cat sits on the mat. “[]
This was her fifth day in the remote fishing village, and the reality of life here had been sobering. She’d expected educational poverty, but not this level of basic need. Many of these children came to school hungry, their only meals dependent on whether their parents had a successful day fishing in the dangerous waters of Lake Tanganyaka
When Charlotte had committed to the Peace Corps, she’d promised herself she would give these children everything she coulit. She couldn’t provide material wealth, but she could offer knowledge–the most powerful tool for changing their circumstances. Education might not guarantee a different future, but it was their best chance at one
As Charlotte guided the children through a phonics exercise, a comination at the doorway caught her attention. She looked up to find Isaac Wood leaning against the doorframe, watching her with that familiar half–smile that had graced countless society pages back home.
When their eyes met, he raised an eyebrow in greeting, causing several of the young girls to gizzle and whisper to each other.
Fortunately, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson. Charlotte set down her chalk and walked toward him, curious about his unexpected appearance at her dassroom.
Isaac was notorious in New York social circles as a carefree trust fund kid who’d never faced a consequence in his life. He’d asked Charlotte out at least ten times over the years, each attempt met with a polite but firm rejection. When he’d suddenly signed up for the Peace Corps–a program that required genuine hardship and commitment–everyone had been shocked
But these past weeks had changed Charlotte’s opinion of him. Beneath the careless facade. Isaac was surprisingly competent and genuinely committed to helping l
“What brings you to my humble dassroom?” she asked, stepping outside into the blazing Tanzanian sun.]]
Isaac’s smile widened as he handed her his phone without comment, his eyes never leaving her face.
Charlotte tapped the screen to play the video that was already queued up. Her breath caught when rllas’s face appeared.]
he man in the video bore little resemblance to the controlled, disciplined Elias she knew. This version was disheveled and dearly drunk, downing glass after glass of whiskey before finally collapsing onto a bar counter, his perfect composure completely shattered.||
Charlotte couldn’t hide her shock. In all the years she’d known him, Elias had prided balanshif on his self–discipline. He considered bars beneath him and rarely di ank more than a single glass of wine at dinner-||
Noticing her surprise. Isaac leaned against the school’s exterior wall. Turns out his perfect Scarlett was running a long con,” he explained, watching Charlottes reaction carefully. “On their widding day, someone projected some pretty explicit videos of her with unitiple men anin the big screen. The whole thing Imploded spectacularly
He lowered his voice, though the children were too far away to hear. “It’s all anyone’s talking about back home. The Delaney name is nnd right now. Word is, he fost his promotion and got publicly dressed down by his rummanding officer–career suicide in military circles.
Isaac’s voler drugged even lover. “And with that vindictive streak of his? He had her kidney surgically removed that same day without anesthesia and shipped her off to some dangerous research insion with uncontacted tribes in the Amazon Pretty cold blooded, even for someone like him. I mean, be supposedly inved her, right? Yet dar showed zero inercy ||
Charlottes expression tightened with pain, Shed exjarenced Lias ruthlessness firsthand, but she never invagined he would turn it against scarlett, the woman he’d chosen tover her repeatedly ||
Even now, remembering her porvious life–the humiliation, the assault, the knife–made her shudder Thank Gud she’d escaped that cycle this time ||
Isaac watched her reaction with barely contrated concerted fallen for Charlotte the nonsent they met at a charity gala years ago, but he d quickly realized her heart belonged to Elias Delaney Still, he’d persisted, hoping his genuine feelings might eventually win her over ||
Each rejection had been gentle last firm, and Isaac had always understood the unspoken reason. What he couldnt understand was what Charlotte saw in Hin sure, the man was handsome and successful, but his character was fundamentally flawed Hed exploited Charlotte’s feelings, manipulated her, and treated her with casual cruelty–all because he knew she loved him.]
Aber learning how im had treated Charlotte–forcing her through surgery without anesthesia, dopping her, publicly humiliating her–base had quietly launched an investigation into Scarlett. He’d discovered a treasure trove of damning evidence her gambling debes, her manipulating of Elias, her deliberate sell harm in create a medical emergency
The wedding day exposure had been Isas doing not to rain Dias’s wedding, but to ensure this would live with the crushing weight of guilt for how he’d treated Charlotte. Seeing Bias drunk and miserable in that video had been deeply satisfying||
But Charlotte didn’t look pleased by the news. If anything, she seemed troubled, which wasnt the reaction he’d hoped for
Isaac had traveled halfway around the world to join this Peace Corps mission for one reason only to help Charlotte heal and find happiness again. He’d given up his comfortable Manhattan apartment, his social life, and all the luxuries he’d grown up with–just to be near her, to show her that someone genuinely cared ||
Seeing her distress, he quickly changed the subject.||
Look at that sunshine.” he said, gesturing toward the brilliant Tanzanian sky. “It’s a perfect day.”
Charlotte’s gaze followed his, taking in the vast expanse of blue above them.]]
What I mean is,” Isaac said softly, his eyes reflecting a depth of feeling he usually kept hidden, “every day is a chance to start fresh. To leave the past behind.”
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