The Supreme Soldier in the City
Chapter 468 - 477: Secretly

Chapter 468: Chapter 477: Secretly

"Is Emma not here?" After chatting for a while, Gina suddenly asked about Emma Campbell.

James Brown coughed dryly and said, "She’s not here. She heard you were coming and got scared to stay."

Gina retorted, "I’m not a man-eating tiger. What’s she so afraid of?"

"You’re my rightful wife, how could she not be afraid?" James chuckled awkwardly. He always felt a bit guilty when talking about Emma with Gina.

"It’s all your fault. I don’t know how you managed to charm that girl. Alright, I’ll leave now. Let Emma come back without fear."

James quickly stood up and saw Gina and Emily Lopez downstairs.

On the small path in the community, both Gina and Emily stopped and looked back at James. His heart skipped a beat. With Charlotte around earlier, Gina was giving him face. Was she going to take him to task now?

"Honey, when are you coming home?" Gina held James’s hand, her eyes full of longing.

James felt a flutter in his heart and said, "I don’t know when Charlotte will recover."

"Then I’ll wait for you. Please hurry, I... miss you."

Hearing such affectionate words from Gina made James feel even more stirred. He wrapped his arm around Gina and said, "Gina, my dear wife."

Gina reciprocated the hug but soon gently pushed James away. "Alright, just be at ease here. I know there’s nothing wrong. Oh, if nothing’s up during the day, you can... return to work at the company."

James nodded and said, "I’ll talk to Charlotte and see if she lets me go out during the day."

Gina did not insist, nodded, and was about to leave when Emily pouted and said, "Brother-in-law, I’ve been worried about you all this time, and you didn’t even hug me."

James laughed and opened his arms generously, "Come on, let’s hug."

Emily giggled and hugged James, though naturally, she couldn’t cling to him like Gina did and only gave him a symbolic hug. But this girl was a real enchantress; even in a brief hug, her subtle movements brushed her chest against his.

Seeing James’s flustered expression, Emily giggled, winked at him, and said, "Brother-in-law, I’m leaving now. You should hurry home. I haven’t had your cooking in days, and I’m getting thin."

James was impressed by his sister-in-law and could only laugh, "Alright, I’ll be sure to fatten you up when I get back."

He watched Gina and Emily leave, both turning back every few steps, their longing unmistakable. James really wanted to follow them home, to cuddle with his wife lovingly and sneakily flirt with his sister-in-law.

Returning home, Emma was already there. However, when James entered, her face was pale, and only when she saw that he came back alone did she pat her chest, visibly relieved, which made James’s heart ache.

"Emma..."

Just as James spoke, Emma smiled at him and said, "Big Brother Brown, why didn’t you go back with your wife?"

Charlotte tugged at Emma and chided, "Sister Emma, why are you so dumb?"

James smiled, "Your Sister Emma is not dumb; it’s a great love."

"Great love?" Charlotte was puzzled and pouted, "Sister Emma is just silly. She could have claimed the title of Mrs., yet she doesn’t. Now I’m not even the mistress, just a sidekick or a tag-along."

James couldn’t help but laugh out loud, "You little rascal, aiming to be a mistress instead of thinking about being the wife?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes at James and said, "I want to be your wife, would you even want me? Hmph, you wouldn’t even have me as a mistress. The thought of being your wife would scare you off."

James was in a good mood today, so he playfully patted Charlotte’s backside and chuckled, "That might just happen. Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s wash up and sleep."

Though Charlotte didn’t say much that night, James could feel her holding him tighter, as if afraid he’d leave. He knew Gina’s visit had made Charlotte worry he’d abandon her. Even if her current mood was somewhat better, the hurt in her heart hadn’t healed, and she still feared losing the closest person to her again.

James could only hold her tighter and tenderly rub her chest to reassure her he wouldn’t leave, which gradually lulled Charlotte to sleep.

Once Charlotte had fallen asleep, James gently loosened his hold on her. Seeing that she didn’t react and her breathing remained steady, he slowly turned to Emma, hugged her, and bent down to kiss her lips.

Emma was already asleep, but James’s kiss woke her, and she instinctively responded. However, after just a few moments, she stopped abruptly because when she embraced James in return, she bumped into Charlotte.

"Big Brother Brown, we can’t. Charlotte’s still here," Emma whispered to remind James.

James lowered his voice and said, "She’s sound asleep, it’s fine." He began to caress her body.

The next day, James took Charlotte to the cemetery. It had been seven days since Charlotte’s parents passed, and there was a local custom to visit the graves on the seventh day. Standing before her parents’ graves, Charlotte couldn’t hold back her tears, while James held her shoulders. At that moment, James felt only love and pity for Charlotte. This poor child reminded him of his own past, evoking a strong sense of empathy.

"Dad, Mom, you’ve left me all alone. Charlotte misses you... Dad, it was your womanizing. If you hadn’t strayed, if you had lived well with Mom, we’d be so much better off. Mom, you were so heartless. Even if Dad was awful, you could have just divorced him. Did you think of your daughter before you killed Dad and took your own life?"

Charlotte harbored some resentment about her parents’ deaths; they had acted too extremely. Yet, hearing Charlotte speak like this made James feel guilty. He wasn’t deliberately messing around, but there were indeed too many women around him, and he had no idea when he could resolve these tangled emotions.

"Mom, despite blaming you, I still have to thank you for your plan. You knew I liked Uncle, so you left him to care for me. He’s been so good to me, so you don’t have to worry. I’ll surely behave and not put Uncle in a tough spot."

James gently patted Charlotte’s shoulder. Though she had been mischievous these days, James sensed she had matured greatly. Adversity is an invaluable teacher. She had grown amidst her challenges, just as he had after his own parents’ deaths, working harder in the military and finally being selected for the Hawk Squad.

"Mom and Dad, I’m leaving now. Rest in peace. If there’s another world, I hope you embrace love there."

As they descended from the cemetery, the path was narrow. A car sped down the hill, honking from afar.

James didn’t pay much attention, but Charlotte was annoyed and muttered, "So annoying."

James led Charlotte to the side to let the car pass. Unexpectedly, the vehicle abruptly stopped after passing them, then reversed back to them.

The car door opened, and a young man in his twenties jumped out in casual attire. Though average-looking, his clothes seemed decent, matched with his Audi A4, marking him as a wealthy guy.

"Charlotte! It’s really you. I didn’t expect to see you here," the young man rushed to Charlotte, his face beaming with excitement.

Charlotte scanned the young man quizzically, "Who are you?"

"I’m John Wilson, remember? A year senior, we performed at a school concert together."

It seemed the memory eluded Charlotte, and she forced a smile, "Sorry, I can’t recall."

"No worries, no worries. You didn’t notice me back then. I was quite low-key. But we are schoolmates, for sure. I’m now at B Region University. Have you decided on a college yet?"

John Wilson proudly mentioned his admission to B Region University, a prestigious institution in All of A Region.

"I applied to YODC City University," Charlotte replied flatly.

"What? Why that school?" John Wilson exclaimed exaggeratedly, quickly adding, "Sorry, I meant no disrespect to our YODC City University. It’s close to home, after all. By the way, Charlotte, this car is my dad’s reward for getting into B Region University. Would you like a ride?"

Charlotte shook her head and looped her arm through James’s. "No thanks, I’m heading home."

Only then did John Wilson notice James. He was too excited to register the man standing beside Charlotte.