Chuck's pointed words found their mark, but Carter refused to be baited. He even managed to retain his careless, easy smile. The very last thing he wanted to do was discuss his nefarious intentions with Chuck Bass.
"Life's been great," he corrected easily, shrugging his shoulders as if he hadn't a care in the world. "But it was time to return home-- see the family, check up on how my little proteges were doing." Chuck had never been a fawning acolyte at his knee like some of St Jude's students, but Carter was in no mood to respect nuance. He was older than Chuck, he'd seen more of the world. Why shouldn't the younger man respect him?
"What about you, Chuck? It seems you're still friends with Nate and under Daddy's thumb. Has anything changed for you?" The friendly smile remained on Carter's face, but there was no mistaking the venom that had slipped into his voice.