A Girl From High Society

Chapter 29

-What do you need?- Jisoo tried to ask a question loudly and confidently, but her voice broke at the last moment and sounded like some kind of pathetic squeak. Charlie looked up at the door and chuckled.

-To talk, Miss Kim. Just to talk.- He said softly.

-I doubt you just want to talk.- Jisoo leaned her shoulder against the door and tried to calm her breathing.- I won't open it. And anyway, I'm going to call the police now.

-Don't be silly, Miss Kim, you know perfectly well that if I wanted to, I would find a way to get you. And the police wouldn't help, I assure you. But I'm here for peaceful purposes. First of all, I was instructed to give you something. And secondly, there is a conversation.

Give it to her? But what exactly? Had Edward asked Charlie to take her the things she'd left at the mansion? Or?..

Jisoo realized that she had no choice, took a deep breath and jerked open the heavy door. Charlie was in no hurry to enter. He stood on the stairwell, immaculately dressed as always, in a dark suit and a light pullover visible from under it, with his arms crossed over his chest, and looked at Jisoo with an expression of disgusted pity and at the same time some kind of patronizing sympathy.

-And what do you want to give me?- Kim blocked the passage. She probably looked like a scarecrow, but did it really matter under the cold gaze of this tall and scary man? Charlie suddenly bent down, picked up something that had been leaning against the wall on the right, and straightened up, handed it to her.

Jisoo's mind went blank. It was a large rectangle wrapped in brown wrapping paper, and doubts about what exactly was under this paper disappeared as soon as she took it with trembling hands and felt the bend of the frame under the dense packaging.

-As you can guess, Miss Roseanne gave it to you.- Charlie nodded at the rectangle.- But please don't rush to open it. We'll talk first.

Jisoo hardly listened to him.

Rosé...

She finished that painting and passed it on through Charlie. She didn't come by herself, didn't send it by mail, didn't ask Edward to drop it off. Jisoo retreated into the depths of the hallway, clutching the painting in her hands. Charlie followed and carefully closed the door behind him.

-Did she ask you to give this to me?- Jisoo finally found her voice and looked at the man.

Charlie raised his dark eyebrows.

-Yes, Miss Roseanne said it belongs to you anyway. And yes, she personally asked me to convey this, as well as to talk to you.

Jisoo, clutching the painting to herself, went into the living room and put the frame on the floor near the sofa.

-Sit down.- She turned to Charlie.

-No, thank you, I'm not here for long. There's no need to sit down.

-Would you like some coffee?

-Let's leave the formalities, Miss Kim.- Charlie said coldly and leaned against the wall.- That's not why I'm here.

The girl sat down on the sofa. Her gaze never left the package on the floor. In truth, the events of the last week overshadowed everything in the world, and she did not even think about the painting that Rosé was going to give her for her wedding. So is Rosé making this gift as a reminder of how much Jisoo screwed up, or is she hinting that she doesn't want to see her face in her workshop? In any case, Charlie's reasons for bringing this painting were not good. Rosé seemed to cut off all ties with her with this gesture, burned all bridges and closed all accounts, and Jisoo doubted that it would be easy for her to tear this package and look at the picture.