Pretending to Be an Untouchable Crime Boss-Chapter 23: Morning.

As James woke up in the morning, he felt something heavy on his chest. Opening his eyes, he saw Charlotte lying on top of him.

"This girl..." He mumbled, carefully picking her up and laying her down on the bed.

However, the blanket was covering Bella entirely, so James yanked it away, only to freeze in place.

Bella was wearing nothing but underwear.

He quickly looked away. Fuck, I feel like a creep he thought, hastily covering Charlotte with the blanket instead.

Shaking off the moment, he turned around, searching for his phone. Just as he was about to leave, a low rumbling sound echoed in the room.

He glanced back and for a moment, his heart skipped a beat.

Charlotte stood there, clutching the blanket in her hands like a ghost.

"Go back to sleep." James grabbed the blanket for her and lifted her up.

"No..." She mumbled, resting her head on James's shoulder.

As he tried to lay her back down, she tightened her grip on him. "No," she repeated, holding onto him even stronger and continuing to sleep on his shoulder.

This girl...

James finally managed to get out of the room and headed toward the kitchen, where his mom was already making breakfast.

"Aww, how cute..." She stepped toward James and reached out to take Charlotte into her arms, but she refused.

"She's like a sloth, a sloth that loves you."

Laughing, she stepped back and continued slicing the bread.

James let out a small sigh but didn't bother prying Charlotte off. Instead, he walked carefully toward the table.

"You should just accept your fate. Looks like you're her favorite pillow now."

James rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Instead, he reached for a glass of water, taking a sip while Charlotte continued to doze off peacefully.

His mother placed a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of him. "Eat before it gets cold. Do you want me to make something for her too?"

James glanced down at her, who showed no signs of waking up anytime soon.

"Maybe later. She's still out...anyway where are her things? You know, the stuff we bought for her?" James looked around not seeing a thing.

"I got up at six, so I already sorted everything."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Her clothes are in the bedroom next to yours. It has a shower so I also organized the shampoos and other stuff."

"Thats perfect then we are going to freshen up a bit."

James finished his plate and carried Charlotte to her room, who was still snoozing.

"Wake up." He leaned her forward and started shaking her gently.

"Wake up, lady."

Charlotte slowly opened her eyes as James set her down. She just stood there, looking like a lost kitten, still drowsy as she blinked sleepily.

"Wash up, brush your teeth, and grab some clothes." James said as he turned to leave.

"I... can't reach the faucet..."

"You can." James replied.

"I can't."

"Try it."

"No."

Ahhh, does she think I'm her servant or what...?

With a sigh, James grabbed her, lifting her fragile body up and held her in place until she was done.

And it took a while but at least Charlotte woke up fully.

"Okay, we just need to find you some clothes but where?"

James looked around the room, but there was no cabinet in sight. He opened one of the doors, and to his surprise, a large walk-in wardrobe stretched before him.

And I got cabinets in my room, huh... He thought as he stepped inside, admiring his mother's immaculate work in sorting the different clothes.

"When you're finished, come downstairs. I'm going to get dressed too."

"I want... matching outfits. Like you did with Bella." Charlotte whispered, staring at the ground, her cheeks turning pink.

Why are girls like this...? James sighed but pulled out his phone to check the weather.

"27 and sunny all day. So, choose something light.." He said, scanning the wardrobe. There was so much stuff, he barely even remembered buying this much.

All he recalled was the amount of money he had spent.

"That one." Charlotte suddenly pointed to an emerald green skirt.

"I don't think I can match that color." James said, taking it down from the hanger. "But I'll try." He smiled. "I think you should pair it with a shirt...like this." He grabbed a short sleeved shirt with a floral pattern.

Charlotte simply smiled without saying anything.

"This white bucket hat and this belt." James added, picking them up. "And that's it. You can choose your shoes, maybe sandals, like these."

She remained silent, her fingers lightly brushing the fabric.

"What? You don't like it?"

"I like it very much!" She suddenly shouted, making James laugh.

"Then that's it. I'll try my best to match it." He said, patting her head before heading out.

As James left the room, Charlotte stood there for a moment, staring at the clothes he had picked out for her.

She had never experienced something like this before.

It wasn't just about the outfit itself, it was about the thought behind it.

The kindness.

The attention.

It made her feel special in a way she wasn't used to.

For so long, she had felt like an afterthought, like someone who was simply there but never truly seen.

But now, James without hesitation had taken the time to make her happy. It was such a simple thing, yet it meant everything to her.

A soft smile appeared on her face as she hugged the clothes close to her chest. It was a small gesture, but to her, it felt like a promise.

A promise that she wasn't alone anymore.

That someone cared.

The emerald green skirt swayed lightly as she moved, and the floral-patterned matched it perfectly.

When she adjusted the belt, she couldn't help but glance at herself in the mirror again.

For the first time in a long while, she felt... truly happy.

Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.

Slipping into a pair of sandals, she finally stepped out of the room, her heart beating a little faster.

She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to see his reaction.

Would he smile?

Meanwhile, James was stressing out because he had no idea what to wear and Bella snoring made it worse.

If I don't match her outfit, she's going to cry... And if she cries, that'll ruin my day... Wait, why do I even care?

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. Ah... but she's finally starting to open up. Poor kid.

For a moment, he just stood there, lost in thought, before shaking himself out of it.

He started going through his clothes, flipping through shirts until he found a short-sleeved one in exactly emerald green.

Perfect.

Without overthinking, he grabbed a pair of white chinos and put them on, standing there like he had just defeated a final boss.

"Now, some jewelry..." He stepped toward a drawer.

He picked out a signet gold ring with a "B" on it, a bracelet, and finally, a gold watch to complete the look.

I got to thank mom for organizing everything perfectly.

Satisfied, he left the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen again.

As James walked down the hallway, he stopped in front of a mirror to check himself out.

"My god... I look like a cartel member." He muttered, staring at his reflection.

He sighed but then shrugged. "I don't care. If she's happy with it, I'm happy too."

With that, he continued downstairs.

The moment he stepped into the kitchen, he spotted Charlotte pacing back and forth, munching on a biscuit.

The second she saw him, she froze, eyes widening before she quickly spun around in excitement.

"What a princess!" Erika said, smiling as she admired Charlotte's outfit. Then she turned to James.

And he did something that not even his mom was expecting.

He spun around like Charlotte "And here's the prince."

Almost immediately, embarrassment hit him, and he stopped, face turning slightly red. Charlotte and his mom burst into laughter, and before he knew it, he found himself laughing too.

"You look cute." He said, stepping toward Charlotte and gently patting her head.

Then, suddenly, Charlotte hugged him tightly.

James stiffened for a moment, caught off guard, but before he could say anything, she whispered softly, "Thank you."

She hadn't expected him to actually match his outfit with hers.

When she had asked, it had been more of a passing thought, something she figured he would ignore or laugh off.

But he hadn't.

He had listened.

He had cared.

She hugged him just a little tighter, as if trying to hold onto that feeling for as long as possible, then she looked up her eyes shining.

"I need to pee." She said.

There was a little silence.

"Then go." James looked at her "Don't even think about it, I'm not escorting you everywhere."

She said nothing and just ran off.

"This is going to be a problem..." He muttered, sitting down.

"You were just like her, always clinging to me. Now you're experiencing the same struggle I went through." His mother said, sitting down at the table. "Let's watch the news while we can."

As the screen came alive, James dropped his glass, which shattered and echoed through the house.

His mother covered her mouth in shock as he seen the broadcast.

What happened...? Charlotte came back asking the question.

James quickly got up, lifting her up and directing his gaze away from the TV with a smile, but deep down he was panicking.