Chapter 574

Upon hearing Charles’s words, Alberto Patrick finally cracked. The composure she had so carefully maintained slipped away like sand through trembling fingers. Her face twisted, lips parting as if to protest—but no sound came out. Her shoulders trembled at first, subtly, then began to shake more violently. Humiliation surged through her chest like a tidal wave. Charles wanted Susan to stay. Susan. And the worst part? She couldn’t do a damn thing about it. No matter how well-connected Alberto was in the entertainment industry, she couldn’t afford to lose her temper in front of Charles Hampton. Because Charles wasn’t just any investor. He was Charles Hampton. Formidable in his own right, he had inherited his family’s modest business empire at a young age. Back then, the Hampton family had only been a third-tier name in Chicago's elite circles—barely relevant. But under Charles’s leadership, everything had changed. He built the Hamptons from the ground up, transforming them into a force to