Chapter 23

“Summer, sweetie! Daddy’s here to see you!” Even before Charles Knight appeared, his overly cheerful voice had already filled the villa. Summer could sense his excitement—but she knew all too well it had nothing to do with seeing her. He only cared about one thing: finding out what happened to her mother’s inheritance. A shadow flickered through Summer’s eyes and was gone in a flash. Within moments, Charles stepped into view. The instant his eyes landed on Alexander Barron, he froze briefly, then slapped on an obsequious smile. “Mr. Barron! What an honor! I brought Summer some gifts—and of course, something for you as well. Just a small token of respect.” But Alexander looked thoroughly unimpressed. From start to finish, he didn’t even glance Charles’s way—his expression colder than a winter morning. The stark contrast between Charles’s eager grin and Alexander’s icy indifference was humiliating, but Charles didn’t dare show it. The man before him wasn’t just anyone—he was the king of