As Geoffrey wrapped his arm around Serena and led her out of the labyrinth, Charlton could only clench his fist and close his eyes. Never had he felt so small and inadequate. Never had he felt more ashamed of himself than that moment.
However, he had no one else to blame but himself. He's the one who decided to take this route. Although Serena's idea of running away was implausible, there were other options. Yet it was him who was reluctant to throw away his familial ties. Alas, he still wanted a fairytale.
What was he thinking? Geoffrey was a man, not some celibate being. What gave him the confidence that he would not touch Serena at all? The two were still engaged and things like that could happen.
He let Serena handle Geoffrey alone. How did he expect her to stop his advances? If he knew that Geoffrey was taking liberties with Serena… he punched the ground causing his knuckles to bleed.