The Godfather's Love (Erika and Charles) novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13

(Erika’s Perspective)

The snow in Paris fell fine and quiet, unlike Seattle’s rain, which clung and lingered like a bad memory.

+45 Coins

It floated silently onto the gray-blue rooftops of the Haussmann buildings, draping the entire city in a pale, dreamlike stillness. A fairytale hush.

If only that tension inside the dance studio wasn’t slicing through it like a blade.

Charles stood there like a lion pushed into foreign territory-tired, but still dangerous. His gray-blue eyes swept across the empty studio, past scattered pointe shoes and the wooden barre, until they landed-sharp and unwavering-on Damien’s hand around mine. On the way he knelt beside me, inspecting my ankle.

That posture… to anyone watching, it was too intimate. Too familiar. Beyond the bounds of friendship.

“Erika.”

He said my name again. Deeper this time. Heavy. Offended. The voice of a godfather who believed he still held authority.

“Who is he?”

My fingers tightened slightly on Damien’s arm, signaling him to stand.

He did, unhurriedly, with composure. Then, as if it were second nature, he reached out and adjusted the slipping strap of my knit sweater. The gesture was smooth, practiced, almost tender.

Only then did he turn.

Facing Charles, Damien offered a polite smile with just the right amount of distance.

“Monsieur, can I help you? Miss Erika doesn’t seem to know who you are.”

He spoke in English, his tone even, but he drew out the words “doesn’t know” with clear precision.

Charles’s eyes sharpened instantly, like blades iced over. That smile, that tone-he understood exactly what Damien meant. He was an intruder.

Uninvited.

Ignoring Damien, Charles turned his gaze back to me, searching my face for something familiar-panic, guilt, the faintest flicker of hesitation.

He found none.

Only the calm chill of indifference, and the small crease of pain between my brows.

“Erika, what happened to your foot?”

He moved instinctively to step forward.

Damien shifted just enough to place himself between us. Subtle, but unmistakable. Protective.

“Miss Erika twisted her ankle during rehearsal,” he explained, still courteous, but his stance made his message clear. “I’m taking her to the hospital now. Please step aside.”

Chapter 13

“To the hospital?” Charles echoed, like it was the most absurd thing he’d heard.

He looked Damien up and down, then let out a low, mocking laugh.

“I’m her husband. Taking her to the hospital is my responsibility. Not yours.”

“Husband?”

S+45 Coins

Damien raised a brow and glanced at me, seeking confirmation. But there was no surprise in his expression. He already knew who Charles was.

I gripped the edge of the bench and tried to stand. A sharp stab of pain shot through my ankle. I gasped and fell back.

“Ex-husband.”

I looked straight at Charles. My voice wasn’t loud, but in the empty studio, it echoed clear and calm.

“Charles, we’re no longer together. You’ve seen the agreement.”

“I didn’t sign it!” he snapped immediately, voice rising with stubborn, almost childish insistence. “That document doesn’t count! You’re still my wife. The

Lady of the Nell Family!”

“A unilateral signature, along with the Council’s arbitration, is more than enough.”

I stated it plainly, without emotion.

“Besides, one of the core reasons the Council ruled in my favor was your innocent love for Miss Evelyn.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify