The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 1747

On the drive back, Charlotte leaned into Anthony’s chest, eyes closed, her face drawn with exhaustion.

“Tired?”

Anthony looked down, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His voice was soft, almost a whisper. “If you’re feeling wiped out, just take a break. Come back after the wedding.”

“Tomorrow.” Charlotte shifted a little, her warm cheek pressed against his chest, soaking in his calm. She let out a quiet sigh. “I have a few things I still need to finish.”

She wasn’t tired from work or studying. It was the pregnancy, the way her hormones shifted, every change in her body taking a bit more from her each day. As the baby grew, it was only going to get harder to hide. Sooner or later, someone would figure it out.

And there was more. The ring she was working on was barely even more than a concept, still rough and unfinished. She wanted it perfect.

It was late when they got home to Imperial Heights.

Charlotte took a long bath, then crawled into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

Anthony stayed up. Still in his robe, he stepped out onto the balcony, phone pressed to his ear, talking to the Gates and Blair families about last-minute wedding details.

“Don’t bother her, I’ll handle it. All of it.”

He stood with one hand on the balcony rail, gazing into the night. Through the open door, he could see Charlotte, sleeping soundly under the covers. A soft smile played at his lips. “She’s not big on drama and really doesn’t care for fuss. If you all push her too much, she just might ditch the wedding. If that happens, you’ll be the ones losing a daughter-in-law and a grandkid, not me.”

Lavinia’s laughter floated through the phone. “Okay, okay. We won’t bug Lottie.”

She’d planned to show Lottie dozens of jewelry sets. Now, she decided it was easier to just let her have them all. Lottie could pick whichever set she liked.

“We’ve gone over the guest list, given out most of the invitations, but Lottie has a lot of friends. Neither of our families really knows them...”

“I’ll take care of it.”

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