Ch. 1191..1200

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1191

“Oh no!” When Louis saw that Diana had hit her head, he was startled for a while before helping her up. “I’m sorry, Diana. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“You’re so caring, Diana,” remarked Morgan mockingly. “Sir Louis is an adult, yet he still needs someone to feed him, huh?”

Morgan’s personality had always been straightforward and hot-tempered, so she spoke anything that was on her mind.

“As Louis is having a high fever, he’s really weak. That’s why I’m helping him take his medicine.” Still polite, Diana ignored the wound on her forehead and explained with her head lowered, “Don’t misunderstand, Ms. Lindberg!”

“I won’t. We’re a family, anyway.” Charlotte smiled. “Is your forehead alright?”

“I’m fine.” Holding her forehead, Diana said humbly, “Since you’re already here, I’ll leave first.”

She bowed and left.

Morgan and the other two maids tidied the place and headed out too, leaving only Louis and Charlotte in the room.

Louis quickly explained, “Charlotte…”

“Are you having a fever?” interrupted Charlotte. When she touched his forehead, it felt quite warm. “What happened? Didn’t you take the medicine?”

“I did.” Louis nodded. “I drank the herbal concoction that Sam sent last night and this morning. However, since I still feel uncomfortable, Diana sent me some medicine.”

“You can’t take both of them together, right?” Charlotte glanced at the medicine on the table, frowning. “Change your clothes. I’ll take you to Dr. Felch.”

“He already came half an hour ago.” Louis looked a bit troubled. “My mom was here too and they had a discussion. She said that my body’s more suited for western medicine, so…”

“Okay, then.” Although Charlotte felt quite speechless, she understood where Sherlyn was coming from. “I understand that perspective can be different, so I respect Lady Sherlyn’s choice.”

“Do you think that Dr. Felch will be upset?” Louis was nervous. “I wanted to apologize and explain to him earlier, but he left quickly, saying that he needed to prepare the other medicine.”

“It’s fine. He’s not that petty, okay?” Charlotte smiled. “Since Lady Sherlyn has already prescribed some medicine for you, take them on time and rest well.”

With that, she prepared to leave.

“Charlotte!” Louis quickly pulled her back. “Can’t you keep me company?”

Charlotte was about to refuse when she saw how pale and weak Louis was. As he peered at her pitifully, she could not bear to reject him so harshly. “Fine, I’ll stay for a while.”

“That’s great!” Louis was overjoyed.

“Lie down.” Charlotte helped him to the sofa, draped a blanket over him and poured him a glass of water. “Since you’ve already taken your medicine, drink some water and rest.”

“Okay.” Louis leaned against the cushion tiredly and sniffed.

“Your body is really…” Looking at how weak he was, Charlotte could not help but frown. “You need to do more exercise in the future.”

“I do exercise! I rarely get sick, so I don’t know what’s up with me this time,” explained Louis. “Charlotte, can you sit closer to me?”

“Have a good rest,” instructed Charlotte before grabbing a book and reading it on the sofa.

Although Louis felt disappointed, he was already delighted that he could see her.

Unknowingly, he drifted off to sleep. Charlotte placed her book down, tucked him in and was about to leave the room when she discovered that the door could not be opened.

Frowning, she tried turning the doorknob a few more times, but it would not budge.

The door seemed to be locked from outside.

Although Charlotte was speechless, she did not make a fuss and merely returned to the sofa to read.

After a while, Morgan’s voice sounded from outside. “Are you still inside, Ms. Lindberg?”

“Yes,” replied Charlotte. “Open the door.”

“That’s weird! Why is the door locked?”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1192

When Morgan tried to open the door, she realized that it had been locked. Just when she was on the brink of losing her temper, Lupine rushed over and stopped her. Puzzled, she asked, “Why is the door locked from outside?”

“Yeah! I left earlier and when I returned, I discovered that I can’t open the door.” Morgan was a direct person. “Someone must have done this!”

“You probably locked it accidentally when you left,” suggested one of Sherlyn’s maids.

“What are you talking about? Are you saying that I locked it?” Morgan lost control of her temper.

“You were guarding it! Who else could’ve locked it?” rebuked the maid indignantly.

“You…”

“That’s enough.” Lupine interrupted Morgan and said with a smile, “Please open the door for us.”

“This lady is so much more polite.”

The maid shot Morgan a cold glance before opening the door and greeting Charlotte respectfully, “Thank you, Ms. Lindberg!”

“Louis’ asleep, so don’t wake him up,” reminded Charlotte before leaving.

At that moment, Sherlyn had just left the library with the children. She called out to Charlotte downstairs, “Charlotte, let’s have lunch together!”

“Sure! I’ll come down after changing my clothes,” replied Charlotte with a smile, still seeming nonchalant and calm.

Observing her intently, the two maids behind heaved a sigh of relief.

After returning to the room, Morgan could not help but lament angrily, “Lady Sherlyn’s maids must have locked the door! Yet, they accused me of doing it. How outrageous!”

“When can you stop being so hot-tempered?” asked Lupine as she frowned.

“Don’t you believe me?” Morgan felt indignant.

“I believe you, but you must remain indifferent when something like this happens. What’s the use of kicking up a fuss?” explained Lupine patiently.

“We should let Lady Sherlyn know and tell her to punish those maids.” Morgan was reluctant to let it go just like that.

“Do you think that they’ll dare to do it without anyone instructing them?” asked Lupine with a smile.

Morgan was stunned before quickly returning to her senses. “Are you suggesting that Lady Sherlyn instructed them to do it?”

“Obviously.” Lupine rolled her eyes.

Morgan glanced at Charlotte, who was tying her hair up calmly. She could not help but ask, “Ms. Lindberg, why is Lady Sherlyn doing this?”

“Because she wants to create opportunities for Ms. Lindberg to interact with Louis alone!” explained Lupine. “This isn’t the first time, either.”

“I’m at a loss for words.” Morgan’s blood started boiling. “How can she do this? Who does she think Ms. Lindberg is?”

Lupine did not respond and merely stared at Charlotte worriedly.

She agreed that there was no need for Charlotte to endure this mistreatment either. The Lindberg family did not need the Laurent family’s support—they could protect the children very well themselves.

“There are only around twenty days left, so control your temper.” Charlotte walked to the changing room to change her clothes. “Pass me the beige shoes.”

“Okay.” Lupine passed the shoes to her.

Morgan did not understand Charlotte’s intention. Although she still felt indignant, she had no choice but to follow orders.

Soon, Charlotte changed her clothes and headed downstairs for lunch with Lupine and Morgan.

Sherlyn had instructed the rest to prepare a sumptuous meal and even seated the children at the table personally.

Diana also helped Louis down the stairs for lunch.

After a short nap, Louis felt much more energetic than before. However, he still wore a mask because he was afraid that he would spread his cold to the children.

The family had a wonderful and harmonious meal together.

As the children were fast-eaters, they finished their food quickly and begged to play with building blocks.

Charlotte instructed Morgan to accompany them while the three adults continued eating.

“Charlotte, I’ll take care of the kids. You should keep Louis company after lunch,” suggested Sherlyn.

“I know how you feel as a mother, Lady Sherlyn, but…” While cutting the steak, Charlotte remarked nonchalantly, “Louis is not a child anymore, so he doesn’t need me by his side all the time.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1193

At these words, Sherlyn paused her action of cutting her steak and her expression froze. Nevertheless, she recovered instantly and smiled. “You must spend more time together now that you will married soon.”

“Yes, of course.” Charlotte smiled. “Louis and I have been friends for many years. We had always spent time together.”

“That’s right,” Louis confirmed. “Mom, we…”

“What’s right?” Sherlyn interrupted her son and spoke in a disapproving manner, “The time together I meant is not the same as friendship. You are so grown up now. You should know.”

She pretended to scold her son but those words were meant for Charlotte.

Louis was dumbfounded not knowing why his mom seemed mad at him.

“In matters of the heart, it is better to let feelings grow naturally,” Charlotte explained plainly. “Doing things in haste could have negative effects.”

Charlotte emphasized the meaning of doing things in haste.

Sherlyn quickly understood what she meant. She thought she was being discreet but Charlotte had seen through her veiled message without embarrassing her.

“To you, Lady Sherlyn” Charlotte raised her glass to Sherlyn with a graceful smile.

Sherlyn quickly pulled herself together and raised her glass to her. “Charlotte, as his mother, I wish you both well. After all, your marriage is not just between two people but rather involves two clans.”

These words were meant as a hint to remind Charlotte that her responsibilities were heavy.

“Lady Sherlyn, you are right.” Charlotte drained her glass and continued with a smile, “My elder cousin, Danrique is also in favor of this marriage because he believes Louis is a straightforward and honest man whom I can trust.”

“That is absolutely true.” Sherlyn smiled in contentment.

“For our safety, he has sent his trusted man over to us.” Charlotte continued to say, “Don’t you know? Gordon is Danrique’s bodyguard.”

Sherlyn was shocked by this revelation. This would mean that everything that happened here would be known by Danrique.

“Danrique has been busy lately so I dare not bother him. I shall seek his forgiveness in a few days,” Charlotte spoke with a voice full of guilt. “I have promised to take care of his three children. We have been here only a few days and Alpha actually went missing. If he knew about this, I’m afraid he would be furious.”

“This… I am also responsible for this.”

Sherlyn was a little wary. Charlotte was telling her that not only did she know whatever tricks she was up to, but Danrique was aware too.

“It was not your fault, but rather, my staff did not do her duty well,” Charlotte quickly replied. “Anyway, that was an accident. Fortunately, nothing bad happened. Just make sure it does not happen again in the future.”

“No, it won’t happen again. I have improved the security measures and installed surveillance cameras so that it will not happen again,” Louis explained quickly.

“Louis is absolutely right,” Sherlyn added, “I have instructed my maids to be careful and vigilant about the children’s safety whenever they are around them.”

“Thank you.” Charlotte smiled.

“I’m done. Now, I’ll go and get ready for my treatment,” Charlotte put down her cutlery and said to Louis. “Louis, remember to take your medicine and then rest well.”

“Yeah.” Louis nodded.

Charlotte curtsied to Sherlyn and then got up and left…

Sherlyn gazed at her with an expression that was too complicated to describe…

“Mommy, I’m taking my leave too.” Louis left the table too.

Sherlyn finally released her anger, slammed her wine glass on the table and left in a fury…

Back in her room, Diana muttered softly, “Isn’t it true that we can’t judge a book by its cover. Ms. Lindberg looks so young but she is unexpectedly a master of words, warning us with every word she uttered.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1194

“It looks like I have underestimated her.”

The more Sherlyn thought about it, the angrier she felt. Never before in her life had she been oppressed to this extent and to make it worse, this oppression had come from her future daughter-in-law.

“Then… what should we do now?” Diana asked tentatively.

Sherlyn took a sip of coffee gracefully and lifted her eyes. Her countenance had changed. “You are speaking as if I am at war with my future daughter-in-law…”

“Oh…” Diana was taken aback and at a loss for words.

“When the child lost her way, it was really our fault. If Danrique knows about this, it would be difficult for me to explain,” Sherlyn instructed very seriously. “So, during this period, you maids must behave conscientiously. Do not make such mistakes again.”

“Yes, madam,” the maids replied with their heads bowed.

“You must be very polite to the Lindberg family members, especially the children. At the same time, be respectful to Dr. Felch,” Sherlyn warned them. “That includes the two girls, Lupine and Morgan. You must never offend them, understood?”

“Yes, Madam, we understand.”

“In the meantime, don’t do anything,” Sherlyn instructed Diana. “Just take good care of Louis. That’s all you must do.”

“All right.” Diana nodded.

At the same time, Charlotte went to the garden with Morgan to visit Fifi the eagle who had caught a cold after the heavy rain yesterday.

“You really let it out just now.” Morgan, seeing no one around, could not help but whisper, “Lady Sherlyn was so shocked that she couldn’t say a word, her face turned pale and then red.”

“What are you saying?” Charlotte frowned. “I didn’t really let it out at her. I was only telling the truth and reasoning with her.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Morgan was all smiles as she replied. “Our Ms. Lindberg is the most reasonable of all.”

Charlotte glared at her and asked casually, “Have you been in touch with Marino, recently?”

“Huh?” Hearing this question, Morgan’s expression instantly turned sad, and she replied, “We spoke twice on the phone since I returned to Erihal. After coming to Arkfield, there was no contact at all.”

At this point, she became angry again. “The son of a b***h is ignoring me. Forget it, I don’t need him. It’s no big deal to find another man.”

“Did he stop contacting you?” Charlotte asked in puzzlement. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Morgan’s voice was bitter. “Maybe Mr. Nacht disallowed him to contact me. But then, again, he might have found a new love.”

“Marino is not a flirt.”

Charlotte frowned. She began to feel that Zachary might be in trouble…

In order to prevent her from knowing, he had even stopped Marino from contacting Morgan.

“Then, why is he ignoring me? He even changed his number.” Morgan became sadder as she continued talking about it. “I have even thought of reporting our relationship to Mr. Lindberg but he backed off first…”

“Don’t think too much.”

Charlotte patted her on the shoulder and walked in the direction of Fifi’s nest.

Some subordinates were feeding medicine to Fifi who was lethargic and unwilling to move.

However, when it saw Charlotte, it flew over to her.

Charlotte raised her hand and let it perch on it. Seeing its haggard appearance, she felt a little distressed, so she gently stroked its feathers, and gently exhorted, “Relax at home these few days and get well soon.”

“Coo… coo… coo…”

Fifi called softly, and then, motioned in the direction of the forest with its head.

“What is there?” Charlotte turned in the direction of the forest and ordered immediately, “Go and investigate.”

“Yes, madam.” Morgan brought some men to check it out. After more than half an hour, she brought back a rabbit and reported, “Ms. Lindberg, there is nothing out there but this.”

“That is good. Nowadays, we have to be especially vigilant.”

“Understood.’

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1195

After that, no more unusual incidents happened at the manor.

Sherlyn took care of Louis personally and she stopped hinting or asking Charlotte to spend time with him.

Nevertheless, Sherlyn spent time with the children daily, playing with them and teaching them oil painting as well as making all kinds of cute pastry.

With the exception of Robbie, the other five children quite like her.

Even though Charlotte realized that her warnings had taken effect, she did not let her guard down and she was always reminding Lupine and Morgan to keep on being vigilant over the children’s safety.

Gordon was vigilant in guarding the security of the manor. In fact, he had warded the intruders off a few times. Nevertheless, he felt that those intruders seemed to have inside help.

He had thought that they were arranged by Louis and so he did not make a fuss.

Time passed routinely and steadily. It did not seem too long and one month had passed by. The day that Charlotte and Zachary had agreed upon was just three days away.

As Charlotte watched the day approach, her heart was heavy since there was no news whatsoever from H City.

Ever since the phone call that night, Zachary had not contacted her again nor did he contact Robbie.

In between, there were two calls from Jamie who missed his Mommy but the little child did not mention Daddy.

Jamie cried immediately when he saw Robbie and Ellie in a video call.

Robbie asked anxiously, “Jamie, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“I… I miss you.” Jamie wiped his tears and said in a choking voice, “You two are with Mommy while I am at home alone. It’s so lonely here.”

“How about Daddy? Isn’t Daddy with you?”

Ellie was heartbroken as she took some tissue to wipe away his tears on the screen but they could not be wiped away.

“Daddy is busy. He is not home nowadays…”

Jamie lowered his head sadly, not daring to look at them. He was not good at lying and he did not want to lie but he could not tell them the truth.

Charlotte’s heart ached as she noticed that Jamie was not optimistic like before but had become sad and depressed.

“Don’t cry, Jamie. In a few days’ time, Daddy will bring you here to fetch me. We’ll be together again, then.”

Affectionately, Ellie comforted him and then she started ranting…

“Nowadays, I can never get through to Daddy’s phone. What is he doing? Doesn’t he care about us anymore?”

“Ellie, Daddy must have something going on. We must be considerate,” Robbie did not approve of Ellie complaining about Daddy, so he solemnly explained. “The last time Daddy spoke to us, his voice sounded different. Maybe, he’s not well.”

“Okay, then…” Ellie pouted, not daring to say anything more.

Jamie blurted out, “That’s true. Daddy is sick. You must not blame him.”

“What sickness is he suffering from?” Robbie questioned immediately.

“I, I…” Jamie panicked instantly. His eyes became shifty and his face turned somewhat pale.

“Jamie, tell me quickly.” Robbie was anxious. “What’s the matter with Daddy?”

“I’ve got to go to school now, bye.” Jamie ended the video call in a panic.

With a beep, the signal was cut off, and Robbie picked up the tablet, furious.

“Robbie, what were you guys talking about? Is Daddy really sick? Is it serious?” Ellie asked anxiously.

“It’s all right. There is nothing to worry about.” Charlotte did not want to upset the children, so she quickly changed the subject. “Daddy has told me that he was injured slightly while doing his work. It is nothing serious.”

“Really?” Robbie asked.

“Of course,” Charlotte replied, smilingly. “It happened a few days ago; however, he’s on his way to recovery now. Don’t you guys worry.”

“Why didn’t you ask for us when Daddy called you?” Robbie looked at Charlotte in a puzzled manner.

“It was late and you were all asleep,” Charlotte explained. “The next time he calls, I’ll be sure to get you all together. I guess, he’ll be contacting me again soon.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1196

After coaxing the kids, Charlotte dialed Zachary’s number, but his phone was still switched off.

She glanced at the date and confirmed that there were three days left until the day they were supposed to meet up.

Why isn’t Zachary answering his phone? He hasn’t been in touch for a while. What’s going on?

After a brief hesitation, she called Ben.

Strangely, no one answered the phone.

She then called Bruce, but his phone was not turned on.

Panic surged in her heart. Both his most trusted assistants can’t be reached. What the heck is going on?

A minute later, she tried dialing Raina’s phone. Raina was her last hope.

If Raina’s unreachable, too, I’ll have to send someone to find out about Zachary’s situation.

The dial tone rang for a long time. Just as Charlotte was about to hang up, the call was connected. “Ms. Windt!” A familiar voice sounded over the line.

Raina was used to addressing her the same way she did back then.

“Raina, did something happen to Zachary?” Charlotte went straight to the point.

“No,” Raina replied with a chuckle. “What could happen to him?”

“Then why can’t I get in touch with him?” Charlotte voiced her doubts. “He didn’t even answer his phone.”

“Wait a moment, please,” came Raina’s reply.

She then handed the phone to someone else.

Charlotte was still confused when another familiar voice rang out. “Miss me?”

It’s Zachary!

Stunned, she took a while to regain her senses. “Zachary? Is it you?”

“I’m still alive,” Zachary answered, chuckling. “I’m glad that I can still be alive to see you.”

It sounded like he had just escaped death narrowly and was lamenting how fortunate he was.

“What do you mean?” Charlotte was puzzled.

“Three days later, I’ll show up before you on time!” Zachary announced and promptly hung up the phone.

Charlotte stood stock still, confused by his words. Why does it sound like Zachary has been through a lot? Regardless, I’m glad he’s still alive. Since he promised that he’d be here three days later, it means he’s fine.

Taking a deep breath to recollect herself, she then went to look for the children, “Robbie, Ellie, I just talked to Daddy on the phone. He’ll come over and look for us three days later.”

“Really?” Both kids gathered around her excitedly. Robbie stretched his hand out and requested, “Mommy, give me your phone. I want to talk to Daddy.”

“He has already hung up.” Charlotte clicked into the call log on her phone and explained, “Look, this is Raina’s phone number. Daddy called me using her phone.”

“Why didn’t he use his own phone to call you?” Robbie asked, sounding skeptical.

“Perhaps there’s something wrong with his phone. Perhaps—”

Robbie’s phone suddenly rang, cutting Charlotte’s explanation short. It was a video call from Jamie that he promptly answered by calling his sibling’s name. “Jamie!”

“Robbie, Ellie, Mommy, Daddy’s coming home tonight! I’m so happy!” Jamie waved his hands around, evidently delighted. “Daddy told me he’ll be bringing me to F Nation to reunite with you two days later!”

“Really? That’s great!” Robbie’s lips curved into a huge grin at his brother’s words. Finally, he was convinced that his father would be back soon.

“Yay! I’m so happy!” Ellie hopped around excitedly. “Jamie, bring Little Fifi here too. We miss it so much!”

“Yes, I had that in mind too.” Jamie nodded profusely.

Behind him, Little Fifi was flapping its wings, shrilling, “Ellie, Ellie! Robbie! Jamie! Mommy!”

The eagle Fifi cooed as though reminding everyone not to forget about it.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1197

The kids were thrilled at the prospect of being reunited again.

Charlotte could not stop herself from smiling. Though she refused to admit it, her heart was fluttering in anticipation of the day.

I must miss Jamie a lot.

Diana, who was passing by with a tray of snacks in hand, happened to witness everything. A myriad of emotions flashed across her eyes.

She then entered Sherlyn’s room and recounted the situation she had witnessed in a tactful manner.

One maid spluttered indignantly, “I thought Ms. Lindberg has completely separated from that husband of hers! Looks like she’s deeply in love with him.”

“How could she? She’s about to marry Sir Louis soon! I can’t believe she’s still in touch with her ex-husband!” another maid chimed in sharply.

“Yes. What does she take Sir Louis to be?”

“Lady Sherlyn, should I talk to Ms. Lindberg?” Diana suggested in a soft voice. “If her ex-husband insists on seeing the kids, we can send them to him. There’s no need for Ms. Lindberg to see him herself.”

“Charlotte’s stubborn and hot-headed. She won’t allow anything to interfere with her business. Besides, we can’t afford to offend her ex-husband,” Sherlyn said, her brows scrunched up unhappily. “We have no choice but to let them meet up. If he comes over here, we even have to treat him with the utmost respect!”

“Well…” Diana seemed concerned. “Louis has been uneasy for the past few days. He must be worried about their meetup.”

“Yes. When I went to his study to serve him coffee, he was sitting behind the desk in a daze,” a maid added.

“My son’s too honest.” Sherlyn sighed in exasperation. “If I stay out of it, he wouldn’t even know he’s being cheated on.”

After a pause, she continued, “Zachary isn’t a pushover. I need to take action before he arrives.”

The maids did not understand what she was getting at.

On the other hand, Diana instantly realized what she had in mind. “Aunt Sherlyn, you mean…”

“I was talking to the kids yesterday about inviting the magician troupe to perform in the manor.” Sherlyn’s lips curled into a smirk. “Inform the magician troupe to come over tomorrow afternoon!”

“Yes!” Diana left to make the arrangements. When she passed the doorway, she bumped into Louis, who was here for Sherlyn. Almost immediately, she gave him a curtsy and greeted, “Louis!”

“Mm,” Louis replied absent-mindedly and stepped into his mother’s room with his head hung low.

He had been avoiding Diana ever since she practically threw herself at him when he had a cold back then, afraid to spend time with her alone.

Noticing how distant he was treating her, Diana averted her gaze to mask the sorrow that flitted across her face. However, she quickly composed herself and focused on the task at hand.

Louis knocked on the door and announced, “Mother, I would like to bring Charlotte to a vacation at the beach for two days.”

“Why the beach all of a sudden?” Sherlyn studied her son carefully, noting his uneasiness. “Are you afraid Charlotte will get back together with Zachary when he arrives to reunite with the kids?”

Louis’ expression grew upset at his mother’s sharp question, but he quickly explained, “No. Charlotte isn’t that sort of person.”

“Nothing is definite when it concerns love.” The duchess snorted. “Besides, Zachary has an advantage over you—”

“Mom, stop it!”

Her words intensified the insecurity that had been growing in his heart ever since the news of Zachary’s soon arrival reached his ears. After all, his relationship with Charlotte did not progress even after spending over a month together in the manor.

On that day, he tried to sound Charlotte out by mentioning the wedding ceremony, but she promptly changed the topic before leaving to spend time with her kids.

He was worried that the wedding would not be held as scheduled if this were to go on.

Hence, he came up with a plan to spend two days at the beach with Charlotte. Perhaps their relationship would proceed to the next level if they got to spend some quality time together.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1198

“How long have you known Charlotte?” asked Sherlyn.

“About two years,” Louis answered despondently. “Mom, can you take care of the kids for two days? I want to bring Charlotte to the beach—”

“Don’t you understand?” The older woman furrowed her brows. “You’ve known her for two years, and you practically clung to her no matter where she goes. Charlotte has spent a lot of time with you in private. If she has feelings for you, you won’t be panicking right now.”

“Charlotte likes me, but…” Louis tried to explain, but his voice quickly trailed off. Even he could not convince himself.

Perhaps Charlotte had feelings for him, but she saw him strictly as a friend and did not have romantic feelings for him. Otherwise, she would not have kept a distance from him.

“Well…” Louis exhaled a deep breath and lowered his head in dejection. “I don’t know what else to do. I’ve done everything I could. I feel so useless.”

“Silly boy, you’re too honest.” Sherlyn gave him an indulgent look. “Think about it. How did Zachary and Charlotte fall in love?”

Zachary was an unfeeling, willful, and arrogant man. He was also the Lindberg family’s rival, yet Charlotte could not forget him.

“I don’t get it either,” Louis responded, a frown creasing his forehead. “I heard that they ended up together by chance back then. Charlotte got pregnant and gave birth to the children without knowing Zachary’s identity. Then they—”

“That’s right,” Sherlyn cut in when he mentioned a crucial point. “They didn’t even know each other at first but had sex, then she got pregnant and gave birth to the kids. Charlotte believed that she belonged to Zachary. In fact, most women would think the same. Once a man made his mark on her, she’d submit to him completely without even realizing it. You just have to make your mark on her, so she’ll fall head over heels for you, get it?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Louis did not share his mother’s sentiment. “After falling in love with each other, we’ll have sex naturally. I can’t possess her just because I want her to fall in love with me. That’s wrong and utterly disrespectful.”

Sherlyn was rendered speechless. “Forget it. You don’t even understand what I’m saying. What a waste of time.”

“Mom, stop spouting nonsense. That’s an immoral act!” he insisted. “Just take care of the children for us. Charlotte loves the sea, so we’ll spend some time there while I try to win her heart. I believe she’ll reciprocate my feelings one day as long I am sincere.”

“Fine. If you can persuade Charlotte to agree to the beach getaway, I shall take care of the kids,” Sherlyn agreed, too unbothered to educate her stubborn son further. “I’ve summoned the magician troupe to perform at the manor for the kids tomorrow, anyway.”

“That’s great!” Elation filled Louis’ entire being. “I’ll talk to Charlotte about the beach getaway now.”

“All right. I need to inform the kids about the good news too. I’m sure they’d be delighted to learn about that.”

Sherlyn placed her cup down and stood up to leave her room.

“Thank you, Mom.” Louis gave her a quick hug before dashing off to seek Charlotte.

Watching her son walking away eagerly, Sherlyn shook her head in a resigned manner.

“Lady Sherlyn, why did you agree to Sir Louis’ request? I thought you had a plan in mind?” one maid asked in a low voice.

“Charlotte won’t agree to go on the trip with him. She’s too focused on that ex-husband of hers to leave the manor.” Sherlyn seemed sure of herself. “Our plan shall proceed as usual.”

“Got it.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1199

Indeed, when Louis went to Charlotte and told her about the beach getaway, she rejected his offer at once.

Bluntly, she told him that Zachary would be here in two days to pick the kids up, so she would be spending the remaining time with Ellie in the manor.

Though Louis usually would not press the matter if he got rejected, this time, he tried to convince her by saying Ellie could come with them and that he had a surprise all planned out.

Alas, no matter what he said, Charlotte insisted on remaining in the manor.

Dejected, he could only leave reluctantly.

The children’s joyous cries sounded from downstairs when he stepped out of the room.

“I can’t wait to see the magic show!”

“Is the magician any good?”

“Can he teach me some magic?”

The three children gathered around Sherlyn and chattered about the magician troupe that was to arrive tomorrow excitedly.

“Of course, the magicians are good. You’ll love them, I promise. They can teach you magic. If you wish, I can ask them to teach you.” Sherlyn was good at coaxing the children.

“Yay, that sounds amazing!”

Louis felt a stab of jealousy in his heart when he saw how overjoyed the kids were. He was about to return to his room when Robbie and Ellie came upstairs to look for Charlotte.

Ellie had a few dresses in her arm. Hopping happily along the hallway, she asked, “Robbie, which dress is the prettiest? When Daddy and Jamie are here, I want to dress up for them!”

“They are all pretty,” Robbie replied. He seemed to be in a good mood on that day. “All three are of different styles, so you can pick whichever you like most.”

“Hmph, you know nothing. I shall ask Mommy.”

Ellie gathered her dresses and scampered off to Charlotte. When she ran past Louis, she greeted him politely, “Hello, Sir Louis!”

“Hello, Ellie.” Louis flashed her a smile before turning to Robbie. “Hi, Robbie!”

Robbie gave him a friendly nod and followed Ellie into Charlotte’s room.

“Mommy, pick the prettiest dress for me! I shall wear the prettiest dress when Jamie and Daddy arrive!”

“They are all pretty,” Charlotte responded with a hearty laugh.

“See, I was right,” Robbie chimed in.

As the mother and children trio chattered merrily in the background, conflicted feelings washed over Louis.

The insecurity he felt in the face of Zachary’s arrival was insurmountable. Strangely, he had a hunch that his relationship with Charlotte would end once Zachary arrived.

It also meant that their wedding scheduled to be held nine days later might be called off.

At that thought, he plodded back to his room unhappily and drowned his sorrows.

“Louis.” Right then, Diana knocked on his door and entered with a tonic in her hand. “You’ve just recovered from a cold and require a proper recuperation. Aunt Sherlyn told me to give you this—”

“Thank you,” Louis cut her sentence short. He was propping his forehead in his palm, slightly drunk from the alcohol he had consumed earlier.

“What’s wrong, Louis?” she asked, her voice full of concern. “Why are you drinking? Are you in a foul mood?”

“I’m fine. You can leave now.” He brushed her off and returned to his drink.

“Stop drinking!” Diana reached out to take the glass from him, but he refused to loosen his grip.

Losing her balance, she fell onto his lap.

Louis shoved her away hastily and demanded sternly, “Diana, I’m about to get married soon. Don’t do this, please.”

“Get married? Doesn’t sound like that would be happening,” she mumbled to herself.

“What did you just say?” he hissed in displeasure.

“I went past Ms. Lindberg’s room earlier, and I overheard her speaking on the phone with someone. She talked to the person so affectionately, and I even heard her say ‘Hubby.’ I think she hasn’t forgotten about her ex-husband. They will definitely get back together once he comes here,” Diana said, embellishing the truth.

“That’s not possible!” Louis panicked.

Though the rational side of his mind was telling him that Charlotte was not someone like that, he could not help feeling restless at the thought of Zachary and Charlotte’s past relationship.

“It’s true. I heard it with my own ears!” Diana pressed. “Ms. Lindberg even told the kids that she won’t marry you, for she sees you as a good friend. She even said their family will reunite once their daddy arrives.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1200

“Shut up right now!” Louis bellowed and flung away his glass in a fit of rage.

After jumping in surprise, Diana quickly kneeled on the floor to clear the broken pieces of the glass. She even stuck her firm and perky butt right at Louis in a seductive manner.

The man was stunned by her antics but quickly regained his composure and covered his forehead in annoyance. “Get out!”

“But Louis—”

“I said, get out!” he hollered in a fury. This was the first time he had ever lost his temper before Diana.

Shocked, Diana scurried out of his room with the tray hastily.

Sherlyn happened to be ascending the stairs when she saw Diana’s exiting her son’s room in a panic. She immediately demanded, “What happened?”

“Louis is trying to drink his woes away,” Diana explained, her eyes reddening. “I tried to persuade him to stop drinking, but he refused to listen and even yelled at me.”

“Why would he drink without reason?” Sherlyn questioned, a tad irritated.

Diana glanced around warily before inching nearer to whisper in her ear, “He must be in a foul mood after hearing some bad news.”

“What bad news?” Sherlyn pressed.

Still leaning close to her ear, Diana continued, “He heard Ms. Lindberg calling her ex-husband and addressed him ‘Hubby.’ She also told the kids that they were just friends, so there was no way they’d get married. That’s why he—”

“That’s outrageous!” Sherlyn raged.

Though she knew Charlotte did not love Louis, she never expected her to trample on her son’s feelings.

Is she being arrogant because Zachary is about to come to F Nation?

“Aunt Sherlyn, why don’t you give him some advice?” Diana suggested, seemingly concerned. “But don’t mention those words again. He must’ve been so hurt by Charlotte.”

In response, Sherlyn strode over to Louis’ room and pushed the door open without hesitation. When she saw him slouching on the sofa, drinking silently, she fumed. “What the heck are you doing?”

“Mom? What are you doing here?” Louis asked in a low voice.

“What can you solve by drinking?” Sherlyn marched over and took the glass away from him. “Your father and I have always been proud of ourselves. How did we give birth to someone as useless as you?” the older woman barked.

“What did I do?” Louis seemed confused. “I’m just drinking—”

“The enemy is about to arrive, so you should perk up and show your stance!” Sherlyn rebuked. “Your wedding with Charlotte has been announced officially, and she’s now your fiancée. You have the right to stop her from seeing Zachary if you wish. Just tell her about it. Why are you drinking your sorrows away?”

“I don’t want to force her,” he confessed bitterly. “Besides, I can’t stop her. Even if I can, I can’t stop Zachary.”

“You…” Sherlyn was stumped for words. Louis might be intoxicated, but he was still in a clear state of mind.

Immediately, she tried to persuade him from a different point of view. “Don’t worry. I assure you that your wedding will go on smoothly as planned. Charlotte will definitely get married to you!”

“Really?” Louis voiced excitedly. He soon calmed down and asked, “How can you be sure, though?”

“Just trust me on this,” Sherlyn assured him confidently. “But be a good boy and stop drinking. Hurry, take a shower and go to bed. Tomorrow, cheer up and enjoy the magic show with the kids.”

Louis thought his mother wanted him to accompany the children to win Charlotte over, so he nodded without thinking much. “Mm, got it.”

“Help him with his shower.”

“Yes.”

After comforting Louis, Sherlyn left the room while sighing. Initially, she was still doubtful about her plan, but her resolve strengthened at the sight of her son’s misery.

I need to give them a push so that the wedding will be held as planned.