Chapter - 6076

Charlie escorted Tara to the hotel room door. Just as he was about to open it, the door to the presidential suite at the far end of the corridor swung open. Tawanna stepped out and exclaimed in surprise, "Mr. Wade, I was just looking for you."

Upon noticing Tara, dressed elegantly in black beside Charlie, Tawanna was immediately taken aback by the woman's distinct charm. A mix of confusion and intrigue flooded her mind—what could Charlie be doing bringing a woman back to his room at this hour? Was he having an affair? Or had he perhaps hired an escort?

Charlie remained composed, responding, "Come on, Tawanna, let me introduce you to Miss Decker, my assistant."

Tara smiled brightly at Tawanna and politely said, "Hello, Miss Sweet, I’m a huge fan of yours!"

Tawanna nodded back with courtesy, crossing over to shake hands with Tara. "Hello, Miss Decker, it’s wonderful to meet you," she replied, though internally, she was very puzzled. Charlie, who was merely a figure in her life as a Feng Shui consultant, wasn’t actually in the office—why would he even have an assistant?

Not wanting to provide too much explanation, Charlie opened the door and told Tara, "Ms. Decker, the suite on the left side of the living room is yours; you can go in first."

Tara responded respectfully, "Alright, Mr. Wade."

She then added to Tawanna, "Miss Sweet, I'll head inside first. If you have any questions, feel free to chat with Mr. Wade at your leisure."

Hearing that Charlie had assigned one of the suites to Tara, Tawanna felt reassured that the two had no inappropriate relationship; otherwise, Charlie wouldn't be so composed in front of her.

Once Tara had entered, Charlie turned to Tawanna and asked, "Do you have something you'd like to discuss with me?"

"Ah, yes... um, no..." Tawanna stumbled, feeling nervous.

She had no specific purpose in seeking out Charlie—she just felt restless during the long night and thought conversing with him might lighten the mood.

Charlie raised an eyebrow, asking, "Is there something on your mind, or is it nothing in particular?"

Tawanna shifted nervously, staring at her feet as she hesitantly replied, "It’s nothing, really. I just feel a bit restless and thought I could share a drink with Mr. Wade."

Charlie nodded, saying, "Sure, let’s go inside for a couple of drinks."

"Really?" Tawanna brightened, quickly asking, "Am I disturbing Mr. Wade's rest?"

Charlie waved her concerns away, replying, "Not at all. Come on in. I was just asking Miss Decker to join me for a drink. She seems worn out and could probably use something refreshing."

As he spoke, Charlie opened the door wider, gesturing for Tawanna to enter.

Although Tawanna had anticipated a quiet evening alone with Charlie, she hadn’t expected the company of another. However, seeing how unfazed Charlie was, she felt reassured that whether it be her or Miss Decker, he regarded them equally, without any distinction.

She followed him inside, where he invited her to take a seat on the sofa while he approached the small bar stocked with an array of wines provided by the hotel. "What would you like to drink?" he asked Tawanna.

"Wine, please," she replied without hesitation.

Charlie nodded and retrieved a bottle of red wine, uncorking it as he said, "I personally prefer Chinese baijiu."

As he spoke, he pulled out a bottle of fine Moutai from the bar.

He then addressed Tara with a normal tone, saying, "Ms. Decker, let’s toast together."

Tawanna chuckled, saying, "Mr. Wade, you’ve been rather quiet. Miss Decker probably didn’t hear you, right? The walls and doors here are quite soundproof."

Just then, one of the bedroom doors opened, and Tara emerged shyly, saying, "Mr. Wade, I’ve never had wine before..."

With surprise, Charlie replied, "You’ve never had alcohol in all your years?"

Tara nodded, a bit embarrassed, and said, "My father always insisted that drinking disrupts one’s clarity and judgment and could interfere with my training..."

She had initially wanted to mention that alcohol affected her practice, but with Tawanna present, she refrained from being too direct.

Understanding her implication, Charlie smiled and said, "While it’s true that alcohol can have negative effects, it can also help people relax and enjoy, sometimes even spark inspiration. Some mental fatigue can’t be alleviated by mere physical rest, but a few drinks might do the trick."

As he spoke, he poured Tara a glass of red wine and filled two glasses with white wine, serving one to Tawanna and then to Tara, saying cheerfully, "Alcohol is a type of energy, albeit a small one compared to yours. Don't shy away from it; let it flow through your body."

From their first meeting, Charlie recognized that Tara had never truly lived a normal life.

Internally, she was icy, capable of causing harm without remorse, almost a life-long assassin trained since childhood. Additionally, the Decker family had burdened her with their hopes for prosperity.

This upbringing had left Tara emotionally stunted. Despite her yielding to him now, her essence remained dulled; she was a weapon of sorts, crafted by others.

Charlie had no need for an assassin; he sought companions the same as him.

His goal was to dismantle Tara’s psychological restraints.

Lifting his glass, he teased, "Alright, let’s toast!"

Then, he drank the entire glass of wine in one go.

Tawanna took a sip of her red wine. While it didn’t match the high-end vintages she usually favored, she mimicked Charlie's approach.

Tara was hesitant with the organic rich aroma of the wine but eventually drank her glass fully.

Having trained since childhood, she was acutely aware of diverse energy forms. As the white wine hit her stomach, she could resist the fiery sensation but felt her body grow more alert.

This awareness revealed to her that there was an energy disconnecting her from her own nature thanks to the alcohol.

To a degree, alcohol functions like poison: its energy numbs and can compromise one's nerve and awareness, similar to how poison can claim a life.

As the wine settled, Tara instinctively felt the urge to fight the intoxication off and began to channel her reiki to expel the alcohol from her system.

Catching herself, she recalled Charlie’s advice not to resist, so she quelled that impulse, allowing the alcohol to move freely within her.

Soon, the alcohol coursed through her bloodstream, unopposed, leading her to a slight intoxication.

At that moment, she recognized that the alcohol might not be as malevolent as she’d thought, and the danger it posed was less daunting than she had assumed. The mild buzz began to feel enchanting.

Seeing that she appeared to be stepping into a new realm of experience, Charlie poured her another glass and remarked, "Sometimes, a sudden insight arises from unexpected moments and serendipity. You can learn how alcohol interacts with you, which might aid your understanding!"