Chapter 23: I read some books I  

Serena arrived outside the private music room about 5 minutes earlier than their scheduled meeting time. As she looked over the glass window, she saw that Charlton was already inside playing with the chords of the piano.

Charlton looked up and stopped playing as he heard the door open.

"You're here early." Serena said as she smiled.

"I couldn't sleep." Charlton answered as he stood up.

Serena grinned as she closed the door shut and locked it. She observed that his coat was placed on top of the piano while his well fitted polo was folded to his elbows with the top two buttons undone.

"Don't you feel hot with that on?" Charlton asked, noting that Serena was wearing a long velvet cape with faux fur trimming.

"What do you think?" Serena asked as she faced him and unhooked the cape, letting it fall from her shoulders leaving it heaped on the ground.

Charlton couldn't hide his look of astonishment and had to physically stop himself from gaping. He has never seen a woman as beautiful nor as daring. Serena was wearing a fitted white lace negligee, so thin was it, that he can clearly see that she was not wearing anything else underneath.

"If you keep wearing dresses like that in front of me, don't blame me for tearing them off." Charlton said as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her towards him and kissed her.

Feeling out of breath, Serena detached her lips from his. "I brought extra clothes just in case you're wondering. So, feel free to do so."

Stopping himself from doing just that, Charlton had to painfully detangle himself from Serena after gaining some of his sense back. "Wait, someone might see." He said, recalling the glass window.

"I'm prepared for that." Serena replied as she bent to open her bag on the floor and then took out a film like looking sticker. "I found this at the market yesterday."

"I must say that I'm ill-prepared for this." Charlton said as he furrowed his brows. He will be lying if he were to say that he didn't dream of something like this happening today. However, despite all the scenarios which played on his mind, he never expected Serena to take the initiative. He still thought of her as an innocent maiden who just exited her boudoir.

Serena stood up and gave the sticker to Charlton. Then she placed her right hand on the bulge of his pants, directly gripping his erection. "Well, I must say that you're not. Now, do place the sticker on the window."

--

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that you're just doing this to spite me." Geoffrey remarked as Leonard rejected his proposal one after the other.

"I don't find what you're suggesting as reasonable." Leonard remarked.

"What part in this do you find not reasonable?"

"Doing charity work every Sunday on the same orphanage will only cause comparison, jealousy, and suspicion." Leonard reasoned.

"I see your point, but if we were not to focus on just one, our efforts will only look good on the surface." Geoffrey argued.

"You may be right, but what we need is greater impact."

"How about we cast our vote on this matter?" Geoffrey suggested.

Leonard can only sigh. Although he is still aggravated with Geoffrey regarding Serena, what he is doing now is nothing personal. He does believe that it would be better to spread their efforts for wider impact. Now with vote casting, Geoffrey would surely have his way. He lamented that the members would go along with what the crown prince wants.

Geoffrey exhaled satisfied. He knew that Emily plays on that church where the orphanage was every Sunday. In one of her letters, she once expressed her grievance for the poor orphans who needed aid and guidance. She said that the children barely had enough for survival, and worse was that they sorely lacked educational materials and teachers. She also stated that much as she wanted to help, her situation does not allow her.

He can only smile while thinking of her compassion.

She has been avoiding him since she found out that he was the crown prince. Yesterday, she even lashed out on him, asking him if he found her funny. That all this time, they have been writing to each other, with her telling him all her secrets and ambitions. Thinking that she knew him all along. That he was just like her. Only to find out his noble personage, and not only that, he was already engaged.

Although the two of them made no promises of love, and they have only met 4 to 5 times in person at most, they have been writing to each other for a year. they can almost be labeled as lovers.

Geoffrey can only deny everything, saying that it was not his intention to fool her, nor was he laughing at her. That he is simply the man she knew in the letters and all he has written to her were true.

In the end, she left him staring at her back. He can only hope that by doing this outreach project, she will see his sincerity and forgive him.

--

TBC