Ch. 1211..1220
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1211
“Of course!” The maid nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Frankly, I didn’t think Charlotte was worthy of him either in the beginning.” An inexplicable mix of emotions filled Sherlyn as she spoke. “After all, she’s divorced and already had children from her previous marriage. How could she be worthy of being Louis’ wife?”
“Yes, that’s true. Besides, she’s actually two years older than Sir Louis, if I recall correctly,” one of the maids added in a judgmental tone.
“I just feel a little upset whenever I think about this matter,” Sherlyn said with a frown. “I fought with my husband about this back then, but he was right. When you consider the power and influence that the Lindberg family holds, what does it matter that she was once married and already has children?”
Truthfully, Louis could easily find himself a thousand other young ladies if he ever got bored of Charlotte. However, it would be impossible for him to find someone like her, a beautiful woman who hails from a good family and possesses great talents of her own.
“That’s true…” the maids concurred.
“Anyway, since Louis loves her, I won’t stand in his way.” Sherlyn heaved a sigh. “After all, he’s my only son, and I want him to be happy!”
“Lady Sherlyn, you truly care for Sir Louis a lot.”
“Stop chattering now and hurry up. After this, make sure to send someone to keep an eye on Charlotte’s bedroom. Remember to inform me to go over before they wake up…”
“We understand,” the maids replied obediently.
While his mother was busy masterminding her scheme, Louis was already fast asleep.
After all, it was his first experience. At midnight, he had gotten so tired that he dozed off.
Diana leaned in his embrace and rained kisses all over his sleeping face, besotted with him. She wanted to be one with him forever, never to be separated again.
However, she knew it was not the time yet.
After forcing herself to get out of bed, she got dressed, tiptoed to the closet, and dragged the unconscious Charlotte out of it. Then, she undressed her and plopped her onto the bed next to Louis.
Her heart ached at the sight of the man she loved lying next to another woman. At the same time, she shot a look of resentment at Charlotte.
However, she knew her grand plan would be ruined if she acted hastily.
She did not stop at merely placing Charlotte in that compromising position. Instead, she went further and pinched the latter’s chest and thighs, leaving purple bruises on her delicate skin. Then, she threw the duvet over her and Louis’ naked bodies.
It was four o’clock in the morning, and the world was silent.
No one was still awake in the manor. Diana quietly slipped out of the bedroom and quickly returned to the maid’s room on the first floor. Her heart was fluttering with joy the entire time.
Just as she returned to her room, a maid, who had woken up to relieve herself, caught sight of her. She asked casually, “Diana, where did you go? Why are you back so late?”
“I was in the garden the whole time…” Diana replied smoothly, for she had already thought of an excuse. Feigning a dejected expression, she continued, “You even walked past me! You didn’t notice me?”
“Huh? Oh, okay…” the maid replied groggily and went back to sleep.
Diana breathed a sigh of relief and tiptoed into the bathroom to take a shower. Seeing the love marks Louis had left on her skin, she recalled the sweetness she had experienced earlier that night and felt blissful.
After washing up, she was about to lay in bed when another maid came over and called them hurriedly, “Get up! Lady Sherlyn is about to wake up!”
“I’ll attend to her,” Diana volunteered. “You all can continue sleeping.”
“We can’t fall back asleep! Something big is happening today, so we all have to be there,” another maid said mysteriously. “If everything goes well, Lady Sherlyn may reward us!”
“Wow! Okay, time to get up!” the other maids said excitedly. All traces of sleep disappeared from their faces as they immediately rushed to the bathroom to freshen up.
Diana’s heart sank. However, she knew that it was not time yet. She had to continue to be patient.
“I’ll go attend to Lady Sherlyn first. Take your time to get ready.”
Diana hurried to Sherlyn’s bedroom.
When she entered, the duchess was already seated at her dressing table, putting on makeup and setting her hair. Diana walked toward her quickly. “Aunt Sherlyn, let me do it!”
“Where were you last night?” Sherlyn asked pointedly.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1212
“I was just hanging out in the garden for a little while…” Diana replied in a soft voice.
“You know, Diana, we should all know our social status and where we stand in relation to one other.” Sherlyn hinted at her. “What is yours will be yours. Whatever that isn’t meant to be yours… Well, just forget about it.”
“Yes, I understand.” Diana lowered her head humbly. He’s already mine.
“It’s good that you understand. Now, do my makeup quickly. I’m going to see Louis soon.”
Sherlyn assumed that Diana had accepted her fate and smiled triumphantly to herself.
Charlotte woke up in a confused state. Her head felt heavy, and her body was aching everywhere. Trying to ease the discomfort, she rubbed her temples and turned to her side. The bed felt more sunken in for some reason as if someone was lying next to her.
Her sleepy eyes suddenly shot wide open in surprise. There really is someone in bed with me! I thought I was dreaming!
Blinking her eyes hard in disbelief, she took a second look. Someone is really lying beside me!
“Ah!” Charlotte screamed in horror and quickly sat up. That was when she realized that she was completely naked. At that realization, she hastened to pull the duvet to cover her bare chest and tried hard to recall what had happened the previous night.
Louis jolted awake from her shout. He turned around and was also stunned to find himself lying next to her. Lifting the duvet, he glanced down at his naked body and recalled last night’s events.
In an instant, a grin lit up his face as he reached out to hug Charlotte. “Charlotte, we’ve finally—”
“No, that’s impossible! No way!” She dodged his outstretched arms, shaking her head in a panic. “There must be some sort of a mistake here!”
“How can it be a mistake?” he asked anxiously. “We were clearly making love last night! You were holding onto me so tightly, and you kept on kissing me everywhere—”
“I did no such thing! That can’t be true!” Charlotte interrupted him. “You’re mistaken. You must be mistaken!”
“I’m not mistaken!” Louis insisted. “Charlotte, I know it was not right of me. We’ve had too much to drink last night. I know I wasn’t very gentle with you, and I didn’t consider your feelings. I swear I’ll be better next time. Please don’t be angry with me!”
“No, no, this is not happening…” Before Charlotte could finish her sentence, a knock sounded at the door. Sherlyn called out from the other side, “Charlotte, are you awake? Let’s take the children out for horse riding.”
Charlotte panicked even more when she heard the duchess’ voice.
She wanted to get up from the bed, but she was completely naked, and her clothes were nowhere to be seen. In a hurry, she tried to wrap herself in the duvet, but her movement exposed Louis’ bare body. Shocked, Charlotte quickly turned her head away.
“Charlotte, are you going to take a shower? I’ll grab a towel for you…” Louis offered when he saw Charlotte getting up. He was trying to appease her.
“Shh!” Charlotte hurriedly hushed him. However, it was too late as Sherlyn spoke again. “Huh, why do I hear Louis’ voice inside the room?”
With that, she started rapping the door again. “Louis, are you in there?”
“Mom, I—”
“Shut up!” Charlotte was about to explode in frustration.
“Oh, so you are inside the room.” Sherlyn twisted the doorknob and pushed open the door. “Well, I’m coming in then. Let’s go to…”
However, her voice trailed off when she saw the mess in front of her.
Wide-eyed, she stared at them in astonishment. “You two…”
All the maids who were following along behind her, including Diana, saw the scene as well.
Every single one of them gaped at Louis and Charlotte, then exchanged hushed whispers.
Charlotte closed her eyes in defeat and wished fervently for the ground to swallow her whole.
“Mom, what are you doing? Get out!”
Louis quickly helped wrap the duvet tightly around Charlotte’s naked frame.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”
Sherlyn hurriedly turned around and left with her entourage of maids away, even ordering them to close the door.
However, before the door was fully shut, Lupine and Morgan, who had just arrived at the scene, caught sight of the naked Charlotte and Louis in the bedroom.
Zachary, who was walking behind the two of them, too, saw what was happening inside the bedroom.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1213
When Zachary called Charlotte the previous night, he had boarded a chartered private jet to fly him into Arkfield.
He wanted to tell her that he would be arriving early in the morning and that he wished to have a proper conversation with her, but Louis cut off his call.
Although Zachary was rather ticked off by that, he did not pursue the matter.
That was because he trusted Charlotte and believed that she still loved him and would never cheat on him with another man.
However, a terrible surprise greeted him when he arrived at the manor.
Even though he did not enter the bedroom and was still standing quite a distance from the door, he had seen everything that he needed to see.
His height allowed him to see over the women’s heads in front of him, so he had a clear view of the bedroom.
With his own eyes, he saw the naked figures of Louis and Charlotte on the bed. The entire room was in a mess. Anybody could have easily guessed what had happened the night before in that room.
“Z-Zachary, when did you get here?” Sherlyn was startled to see Zachary.
She had not considered him in her intricate scheme.
In fact, she had no idea that Zachary would be arriving in the manor at this hour.
However, this is quite a good surprise…
Zachary did not reply to her as his eyes were still fixed on the scene in the bedroom.
Recently, the treatments he had been undergoing caused him to lose a lot of weight, and hence his eyes were sunken. His hair had grown long, and there were lines on his face where there once were none.
Even so, his eyes were still sharp, and he still exuded a domineering aura.
Beneath them, emotions rolled like raging waves in a sea at night.
Sherlyn felt rather flustered by his expression. She knew that blood would spill if Zachary were to lose his temper.
However, when reminded that they were in the Laurent family’s manor, she quickly steeled herself. This is my territory. Besides, Charlotte and Louis are about to get married.
No matter how scared she was of him, she knew she had to stand up to him for her son’s sake.
Hence, the duchess stepped toward Zachary and said in a polite tone, “Louis and Charlotte are already engaged. Their wedding will be held in seven days. Even if something did happen last night…”
Her sentence was cut short by the sharp look he had thrown at her.
Frightened, she quickly held her tongue. She did not even dare to breathe as panic filled her eyes.
However, Zachary did not explode with fury, unlike the usual him. In a low, icy tone, he ordered Lupine, “Attend to her bath. I’ll be waiting for her in the study half an hour later.”
After that, he spun on his heels and headed to the study downstairs.
“Yes!” Lupine snapped out of her daze and headed into the bedroom with the female bodyguards to help Charlotte sort out the mess.
Diana, too, led two maids into the room. She helped Louis into a robe and escorted him out of Charlotte’s bedroom.
“Lady Sherlyn, Sir Robert is on the phone,” one of the maids announced hurriedly.
“Get back to work!” Sherlyn took the phone from the maid and started to walk back to her bedroom. “What are you all still doing here?”
“Yes.” The maids lingering in the corridor quickly disappeared.
Sherlyn shut her bedroom door behind her and said into the phone, “What’s the matter?”
“Has Zachary arrived at the manor?” Robert asked eagerly. “He didn’t confront Louis, did he?”
“Not yet, but he might later…” she replied, feeling a little uneasy. “This is our home! Zachary wouldn’t dare to pick a fight here, would he?”
“Did something happen?” He probed further.
“Well…” She then told him about what happened between Louis and Charlotte the night before. “I didn’t expect Zachary to appear at that moment. He saw everything, and the way he gazed at them seemed as if he wanted to eat them up!”
“Louis has always been a gentleman. How did he become so wild after a few drinks?” Robert wondered out loud. “Even if the boy got drunk, Charlotte would still have been sober. Did you do something?”
“The pressing matter now is to ensure your son’s safety! What nonsense are you talking about?” Sherlyn snapped. “Hurry up and get back here! If Zachary loses his temper, you’re the only one who can stop him.”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1214
“I’m on my way.” Robert added sternly, “Whatever Zachary does, don’t push his buttons. Be patient and make concessions if you need to until I arrive.”
Sherlyn was frustrated at his advice. “Why are you so scared of him? We’re in F Nation.”
He merely retorted, “You’ve led a sheltered life for far too long, and you’re out of touch with the dangers out there. You need to trust me on this; don’t cause more trouble-”
“Okay, okay, I got it,” came Sherlyn’s reluctant agreement. “Now hurry up! I’m going to check on Louis.”
After hanging up, she did not immediately visit Louis but instead turned to her subordinates. “Have all our bodyguards patrol the periphery. If anyone catches Zachary messing around, seize him immediately.”
“Yes, Lady Sherlyn.”
The order did little to soothe Sherlyn’s anxiety, and she eventually grabbed a gun from a drawer and hid it beneath her clothes before visiting her son.
Meanwhile, Charlotte was taking a shower when she noticed some marks on her body. She gasped in shock. “What’s this?”
Morgan was surprised as well, and she sputtered, “Ms. Lindberg, did you and Sir Louis-”
“I don’t remember a thing,” Charlotte interrupted as she clutched her forehead in frustration.
She tried her best to recall what happened earlier.
“I remember chatting with Louis after coming back to my room. We argued, and I slapped him so hard that his nose began bleeding. He got himself cleaned up in the bathroom while I drank some water on the couch. I fell asleep after that.”
Charlotte had a splitting headache then. “I really don’t remember anything after that.”
Morgan said, “Did Sir Louis do something while you-”
She could hardly bring herself to finish her sentence as she became overwhelmed with anger.
“That jerk! And here I thought he was a real gentleman! I can’t believe he’s so dishonorable! I’m going to kill him!”
Morgan made to leave the room, huffing with anger, when Lupine pulled her back. “What are you doing? Nothing’s confirmed yet, and you’re rushing about like some headless chicken. Get a grip!”
“But Sir Louis took advantage of Ms. Lindberg.”
Lupine repeated herself, “We need to clarify things before jumping to conclusions.”
“Aren’t things clear enough already? The proof is right in front of you!”
“You’ve literally considered one possibility.”
“I-”
“Enough! Please stop fighting,” Charlotte pleaded as their argument worsened her headache.
“Sorry,” the two of them said in unison, lowering their heads in shame.
Charlotte tried her best to consider the situation logically. “Louis wouldn’t do something like this. The key to solving this puzzle is my memory loss. My gut instinct tells me that nothing happened between us. But if that’s the case, where did these marks on my body come from, then?”
“Something’s fishy about this whole situation.” After some thought, Lupine continued, “I’ll check things out; we might be missing something.”
Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat as a face suddenly came to mind. “He saw it!”
Lupine immediately understood who she meant. “I didn’t expect Mr. Nacht to show up at this time. You won’t be able to play dumb about this now.”
“Mr. Nacht’s got a temper, though. I have no idea what he’ll do next.” Morgan sounded worried as well.
Charlotte’s mind drifted to her kids. She addressed Lupine, “You should leave to keep an eye on the children. Don’t let them know about this. Bring Jamie, Robbie, and Ellie to the pasture; you can bring Danrique’s children along. Tell them that Mommy and Daddy have some things to discuss and will pick them up a bit later.”
“I’m on it.” Right before Lupine left, she turned to Morgan and said, “Stay here and accompany Ms. Lindberg. Make sure she’s okay.”
“Got it.”
Lupine bumped into Diana the moment she left Charlotte’s room.
Diana was heading to Louis’ bedroom with a steaming bowl of chicken soup.
The sight suddenly reminded Lupine of the two glasses of water from last night. Maybe something’s wrong with the water.
She immediately ordered Jade to track down the drinking glasses from last night and send them for analysis.
Jade got to work at once.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1215
Zachary was slumped on a couch in the study room, his eyes downcast.
It was impossible to tell what was responsible for his cold, murderous gaze.
Bruce scrunched his brows in concern as he whispered, “He looks like he’s about to kill someone.”
Ben seemed more optimistic about the situation as he replied, “He won’t. He’s a lot calmer after that harrowing incident.”
The words had barely left his mouth when someone opened the door from the outside. A familiar voice drifted in. “Zachary!”
It was Louis.
He had come to explain things for fear that Zachary would make things difficult for Charlotte.
Louis was fraught with nerves as he entered the room carefully. Even his voice shook as he called out his greeting earlier.
Zachary lifted his head slowly and stared coldly at Louis, looking like a predator scrutinizing its unfortunate prey.
Louis decided to defuse the tension in the room by mentioning Zachary’s children. “Where’s Jamie? Robbie and Ellie miss him dearly, and they’ve been hoping to meet him soon.”
Zachary continued glaring at Louis wordlessly as the hands he had placed on his thighs gradually clenched into fists.
Still, Louis pushed on with his agenda and added, “Since you’re already here, you’re welcome to stay for a few more days. This way, the children can spend more time with each other-”
“They’re my children!” Zachary seethed, finally breaking his silence. “You have no right to organize their lives.”
“That’s not what I meant. What I’m trying to say is-”
“Enough!” Zachary interrupted his meek defense. “Now tell me everything about last night; you’d better have a darn good explanation for what happened.”
Louis sat obediently on a couch facing Zachary and launched into an explanation. “We were watching a magician troupe’s performance last night, and Charlotte and I got drunk.”
He suddenly paused in the middle of his words and said, “Wait, why should I be explaining anything to you? Charlotte and I are getting married soo-”
“She’s my woman!” Zachary roared furiously
Stunned by his outburst, Louis stared at him silently.
“You’re mistaken.”
Sherlyn had shown up just then as Louis’ cavalry.
“You may have been with Charlotte in the past, but all of that is history. We made a public announcement regarding Louis and Charlotte’s marriage two months ago; Charlotte even made the statement herself. They’re getting married in a week.”
Instead of looking at Sherlyn, Zachary frowned and continued to interrogate Louis, “Is there anything else you’d like to say?”
“There’s nothing left to say.” Louis glanced at him timidly and lowered his head. “We got drunk, and then things just happened.”
Sherlyn chimed in, “They’re adults, for heaven’s sake. Nothing’s wrong if they slept together. Besides, you’re her ex-husband; you don’t have a say in their relationship. Why should Louis be explaining things-”
Crash!
Zachary slammed his fists on the glass coffee table before him, shattering it.
His action had Sherlyn shuddering in fear, utterly tongue-tied.
Meanwhile, Louis trembled and instinctively scooted backward.
The atmosphere in the study room instantly chilled by several degrees.
“D-Don’t do anything stupid now,” Sherlyn said fearfully. “We’re in F Nation.”
“Lady Sherlyn, please leave.” Zachary’s request was nothing more than a thinly-veiled command.
He seemed even more menacing as he wiped off the blood and glass shards on his hand with a wet towel.
“Why should I leave?”
“Lady Sherlyn, please leave.”
Just then, Charlotte’s voice rang out, sounding a lot calmer than Zachary.
She added for good measure, “I promise that nothing will happen to Louis.”
With that, Charlotte entered the study room slowly, her gaze landing on Zachary. Her heart swirled with an array of conflicting emotions.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1216
Zachary seemed different from the last time Charlotte saw him two months ago.
He had lost a lot of weight, causing his features to become more defined than before. The knuckles on his hands seemed unusually prominent, while his sunken eyes conveyed a hollow, depressed gaze.
Zachary’s carefully-styled hair had become long, messy locks, making him seem wilder and more mysterious than ever.
Charlotte’s heart ached at the sight.
She felt deeply regretful when she saw his heartbroken gaze.
When Zachary lifted his head, she immediately retracted her gaze. She did not want him to notice that she had been staring.
Steeling herself, Charlotte cooled her demeanor and ignored his gaze. She lowered her eyes and walked further into the room.
Sherlyn exclaimed, “Charlotte! You’ve arrived just in time. Please explain everything to Mr. Nacht. He seems to have some sort of misunderstanding about Louis, or he might’ve been too busy and missed the news of your engagement. Why, he thought Louis took advantage of you, and he’s interrogating him right now!”
“Mom…” Louis warned, “Please leave. We’ll talk things through with Zachary, and you shouldn’t be involved.”
“What are you rushing me for?” Sherlyn eyed her son disapprovingly before assuming the persona of a welcoming host and addressing Zachary instead. “Mr. Nacht, welcome to our manor. You and Louis are great friends, and I’m happy to have you here as a guest. Feel free to stay for a few more days, so that you’ll be around for Louis’ wedding as well!”
Sherlyn’s invitation reeked of insincerity and condescension.
“Mom, stop it.”
Louis glanced at Zachary nervously and tried to push his mother out of the study room.
“Why are you pushing me?” Zachary’s non-reaction fueled Sherlyn’s insolence as she added, “This is my house, and I’m the host. I have every right to welcome him-”
“Mom, that’s enough,” Louis cut in and finally pushed his mother out the door.
Tensions remained high in the study room. Zachary had not exploded earlier because he did not care for Sherlyn’s words at all; it had nothing to do with a good temper.
He only cared about Charlotte’s opinion.
“I’m still waiting for an explanation,” he said hoarsely, staring at Charlotte with an indecipherable gaze.
I’ll believe whatever she says. I’ll believe it over anything I saw with my own two eyes.
Charlotte refused to meet his gaze as she replied, “There’s nothing left to explain. We have nothing to do with each other, and anything I do is none of your business.”
Her calm words hurt Zachary more than Sherlyn’s insults ever would.
He could let any insult slide off his back, but he was powerless in the face of Charlotte’s words, which felt like daggers stabbing straight through his heart.
Zachary asked cautiously, “So, last night, did you and Louis really-”
He cut his sentence short as the scene he had witnessed the night before crossed his mind. The pain in his heart was unbearable.
The study room became eerily silent as he awaited Charlotte’s answer.
Charlotte kept her head lowered as her hands kneaded her dress anxiously. She had no idea how to answer him. She wanted so badly to tell him that nothing had happened, yet last night’s memories seemed to evade her.
I could tell him that I don’t remember what happened last night, but it’s just going to come across as a lame joke. He’ll never believe that.
“Tell me!” Zachary suddenly shouted, his patience running thin.
His bellow frightened Louis, who had headed back to the study room after ushering his mother out.
“Louis, you need to take care of yourself!” Sherlyn stuffed something into his hands before she left.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1217
Louis stood at the doorway of the study room, staring at Zachary fearfully.
When he finally collected himself, he was surprised to discover a small handgun in his hand. Louis hastily stuffed the weapon into his shirt sleeve.
“What’s it got to do with you?” Charlotte remained as hostile as before and continued, “I’ve cut ties with you since the moment you threw me out on the wedding and forced me to leave without my child. You have no right to interrogate me about the men I date or marry.”
“Is this your way of saying that y-you were together last night?” Zachary seemed to ignore her statement, obsessed with only knowing what had happened the night before.
Charlotte steeled herself and answered, “Yes.”
Technically, I was together with Louis last night. He’s the one asking vague questions.
“Great! Just great!”
Zachary’s hopes were utterly destroyed, along with his earlier composure. His gaze turned dangerous as he emanated a murderous aura.
He had initially thought that this was an elaborate hoax by the Laurent family to prevent him from reuniting with Charlotte and foiling her marriage plans with Louis.
In his imagination, Charlotte was a victim of drugging. Even if anything happened between Louis and her, he would forgive her if she was not a willing participant.
Charlotte’s face was, however, devoid of any sadness or regret. Instead, she behaved as if she was trying to keep her distance from him.
She had not refuted anything that Sherlyn and Louis had said earlier.
And now, she had given him a direct answer to his pressing question.
Little by little, they chipped away at Zachary’s fantasy of a loving reunion with Charlotte.
I should never have come here bearing false hope. She’s changed a great deal since returning, and she’s no longer the Charlotte of my past. How could this be?
Zachary’s clenched fists were shaking with anger as he glared at Charlotte like a starved beast.
Charlotte continued to avoid his gaze as she declared, “Right then, everything’s cleared up. Thank you for bringing Jamie to visit me, and I’d be grateful if you could allow him to stay for a few days. I’d love to spend time with him and Ellie. You can take this time to accompany Robbie as well.”
She droned on about the children as if last night’s incident was nothing of consequence.
Unbeknownst to her, Zachary’s gaze was growing murderous at a frightful rate.
“You can even bring Robbie away with you for a couple of days as long as he’s agreeable to it.” Charlotte took a deep breath before saying her farewells. “That’s all I have to say. Goodbye.”
She was about to leave when Zachary lunged at her and pinned her against the couch.
“Zachary!” Louis rushed forward but was stopped by Ben.
“Ms. Lindberg!” Morgan was about to do the same when Marino pulled her back.
Zachary held Charlotte by her chin and gritted out, “Charlotte! Do you know how hard I’ve been trying to resolve the feud between the Lindbergs and the Nachts? I’ve been racking my brains for ways to approach you and make things up to you.”
He continued impassionedly, “I even risked my life to find you. Whenever I was on the brink of death, the thought of you filled me with hope and the determination to survive. I did all this because I believed you would be awaiting my return as eagerly as I anticipated our reunion. But it looks like I was wrong. You couldn’t even wait one night. You threw yourself into another man’s arms despite knowing that I was coming to get you today.”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1218
“Everything I did was a joke to you! An utter joke!” Zachary’s voice had lost its usual charm. Instead, it had turned hoarse with dejection.
He sounded both sad and spiteful.
Charlotte refused to allow her heart to soften. “We could never go back to the way things used to be. It’s far too late.”
“Look at me, Charlotte.” Zachary desperately clung to his hopes for a reunion. He cupped her cheeks and forced her to meet his gaze. “Tell me you were forced and sabotaged. As long as you didn’t agree to any of this, I’ll forgive you!”
At that moment, Zachary had sunk to the lowest point of his life.
He had never begged so pitifully for a woman before, to the point of tossing aside all his pride. Nonetheless, it was a worthwhile sacrifice if he could regain her trust and love.
Charlotte’s eyes welled with tears as she took in his bloodshot eyes.
She had never seen him in such anguish, and she could not help but sympathize with him.
Regret and hatred filled her soul, urging her to confess that she had not voluntarily agreed to this marriage, that she had no idea what had happened.
“Talk to me!” Zachary bellowed impatiently. He needed to hear the words from her own mouth.
I’ll believe anything she says.
“I-I-” Charlotte was about to say something when Zachary stiffened at the sight of the bruises along her neck and collarbone.
He tore apart her blouse viciously, and his world came crashing down the moment he saw the hickeys littered on her chest.
Charlotte followed his gaze and froze, realizing that she had no way of explaining herself now.
“Charlotte! Y-You! How could you do this to me? Why would you?” Zachary was going mad with rage.
He suddenly punched a fist forward, causing Charlotte to close her eyes and wince subconsciously.
The fist whooshed past her and landed in an antique vase behind her.
The vase instantly shattered into pieces, some of which landed on Charlotte’s face and body. One of the pieces slashed her cheek, and blood trickled down her face.
Zachary’s bloody fist was full of cuts.
Morgan tried to rush to Charlotte’s aid but to no avail as Marino continued holding her back.
“Zachary, what the hell are you doing?” Louis finally lost his composure and whipped out the gun in his sleeve. He yelled, “Let go of her!”
Ben was taken aback at his actions, having never expected the typically gentle Louis to point a gun at someone else.
He had perhaps lowered his guard far too much against Louis.
“Sir Louis, please stay calm and put the gun down,” coaxed Ben.
Louis seemed impervious to the bodyguard’s words as he continued pointing the gun shakily at Zachary. “I said, let go of Charlotte! She’s my fiancée, and I won’t allow you to treat her like this!”
“Your fiancée?” Zachary sneered, though he gradually loosened his hold on Charlotte. Turning around, he stared at Louis patronizingly and said, “You were still out of the picture when she was giving birth to our kids.”
“Y-You,” Louis sputtered awkwardly.
Zachary swiped the gun from his hand in a flash. He pointed it at Louis’ chest. “I treated you like my brother, but you stole my woman, and now you’re here pointing a gun at me!”
Louis’ eyes widened in fear. “I-” The words froze up in his throat.
Zachary switched off the safety and threatened, “I’ll kill you right now, and she won’t have to walk down the aisle. Go to hell!”
“No!” Charlotte ran forward and stood between him and Louis. “Zachary, don’t be rash.”
He clenched his jaw and glared at her. “You’re protecting him? Do you think I won’t shoot you?”
Charlotte explained hurriedly, “Don’t do anything stupid. There are royal forces from F Nation surrounding this place. You shouldn’t put yourself at risk for me.”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1219
Zachary scoffed in response. “The royal forces? Do you really think that would scare me?”
He then pointed his gun at the ceiling and fired several successive shots.
Bang! Bang!
The bullets struck the chandelier on the ceiling, sending crystals raining down.
Just then, the door to the study room burst open, and dozens of armed soldiers rushed into the room. More soldiers stood outside the window of the study room, and all of them trained their guns at Zachary.
Sherlyn entered the room last, flanked by more armed men.
“Put down the gun if you want to live, Zachary.” She had a gun pointed at him as well.
Louis exclaimed, “Mom, what are you doing?” He had never imagined that his mother would cause such a scene.
While he pointed his gun at Zachary to protect Charlotte, his mother’s actions represented the Laurents’ declaration of war against the Nacht family.
It was wholly unnecessary and out of line.
Zachary burst into laughter. “Did you think you could stop me with dozens of soldiers?”
Sherlyn remained painfully ignorant of the danger ahead. “Such insolence! Even if you’re not scared of our soldiers, there’s still the Lindberg family, and we have Mr. Lindberg’s best men with us. There’s no way you’d be able to escape!”
“Mom, stop it,” Louis pleaded nervously.
“Lady Sherlyn, it seems like you’ve been sheltered for far too long. I pity your ignorance about the evils of the outside world.”
The soldiers outside the window suddenly crumpled over just as Zachary finished his sentence.
Dumbfounded, Sherlyn could only watch as bodyguards from the Nacht family stormed into the study room before neutralizing her men.
“Y-You,” she stuttered in disbelief.
Robert had arrived home just then, and he immediately apologized. “Zachary, please have mercy on us!”
He added pleadingly, “Please accept my apology on behalf of my wife; she doesn’t know any better. Our families have been on good terms for many years, especially Mr. Nacht. It would be such a shame to ruin our relationship over such a minor issue.”
“A minor issue?” Zachary asked, though he kept his piercing gaze on Charlotte.
“Whatever it was, there’s no need to bring death into the equation.” Robert hastily changed tack and offered an olive branch. “Let’s sit down and have a talk over this, shall we? We shouldn’t exchange arms at all costs. Please accept my suggestion for my sake, all right?”
Zachary tossed the gun in his hand to Robert. “I wanted to have a peaceful talk, but Lady Sherlyn is being impolite. This gun belongs to your family.”
Robert knew at first glance that the gun belonged to Sherlyn. He wanted desperately to tell off his wife right then and there, but the urgency of the situation demanded him to first bow to Zachary in apology.
“Please accept my deepest apologies over Sherlyn’s and Louis’ behavior. On account of our families’ good relationship and the sake of your grandfather, I hope you can be the bigger person and forgive our transgressions!”
“What are you doing?” Sherlyn was dumbfounded at her husband’s meek demeanor. Zachary’s the one in his territory, for God’s sake!
Robert roared impatiently, “Shut up! Must you carry on like this until Louis’ life is in danger?”
Sherlyn swallowed her displeasure and kept quiet.
Charlotte chimed in, “Zachary, let’s talk through this alone instead of making a scene. The children are still in the manor, and I’m sure they’ll be upset if they find out about this.”
The mention of their children worked wonders in soothing Zachary’s mood.
Gone was the murderous gaze, though anger and hatred still swirled in the depths of his eyes. “There’s nothing left to say. I’m bringing all three kids with me!”
He turned to leave.
“Zachary! What do you mean? We’ve discussed this; Robbie stays with me,” Charlotte yelled and chased after him.
He replied without even turning back, “Too bad, I’ve changed my mind. I won’t allow my son to call someone else ‘Dad.’ They’re my kids, and they’re coming with me. That’s final!”
“Y-You-” Charlotte was tongue-tied at his audacity.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1220
Charlotte’s words were cut short by the arrival of a subordinate. “I have horrible news, Ms. Lindberg. Someone from the Nacht family took Mr. Robinson and Ms. Elisa away!”
“What?” She paled as she realized how serious the matter had become. Pulling her skirt up, she ran as fast as she could after Zachary. “Hold it right there, Zachary!”
He ignored her and got into his car.
She plastered herself against the open window of his car and yelled anxiously, “Zachary, where did you bring the kids to? What are you playing at?”
Without sparing her a glance, Zachary had his car window rolled up.
The vehicle sped off, and Charlotte would have fallen to the ground if someone had not pulled her back.
Charlotte whirled around to see who had caught her. “Gordon? Quick, chase them down! Bring the kids home.”
Gordon scrunched his brows and said, “It’s too late. The Nachts had been planning this for a while now. They planted their men in the manor as early as a month ago.”
Stunned, she asked, “What do you mean?”
“Do you remember asking someone to investigate why Fifi had been falling sick so frequently? It turns out that someone from the Nacht family had been drugging Fifi to prevent it from discovering their presence.”
Gordon continued, “About a month ago, Bruce smuggled a dozen of their best bodyguards into the manor. They were secretly protecting Alpha when she got lost; that’s how she returned safely. They were initially assigned to protect you and the children. Last night, they went to meet Zachary and set their plans into motion.”
He then provided the last piece to the puzzle. “Zachary came to bring you home. If the Laurent family objected, his bodyguards would reveal themselves and fight off their men. I guess they didn’t expect your incident from last night. Zachary must’ve made an impromptu decision to have the children brought away with him if you refused to follow him.”
Charlotte finally understood what had happened.
Robert’s anxious behavior and profuse apologies to Zachary now made complete sense.
He must’ve expected Zachary to come prepared. If their men went head-to-head, they would be eaten alive by Zachary’s men. That’s why Gordon chose to remain neutral.
Charlotte never imagined that Zachary would have sent his men into the manor to protect her and the kids.
He had not spent two months apart only to return for the children.
In fact, he had never given up on any of his children or Charlotte.
He merely wanted to settle some matters before bringing Charlotte and their children home.
Last night’s incident ruined his plans, so he decided to only bring the kids with him.
Gordon said regretfully, “I’m sorry, Ms. Lindberg. It’s my fault for underestimating Zachary. He’s been keeping a low profile over the past six months and relenting on so many matters. I truly believed he had suffered a massive blow and would not pull any tricks out of his sleeve. I did not expect him to be waiting for the right moment to strike. We’re so understaffed that failure is inevitable if we went head-to-head against the Nacht family. Most importantly, Zachary is their father. The kids are safe with him, and I have no grounds to demand their return.”
“I understand. It’s not your fault.” Charlotte trudged back to the manor dejectedly.
Gordon caught up to her and wrapped his jacket around her shoulders. “You should talk to Zachary or the kids. There must be some room for negotiation. At least you can rest easy knowing that he would never harm the children. The first thing you should do is talk to the Laurents and figure out what happened last night. I’ll get Mr. Lindberg’s kids from the pasture and come back as soon as possible.”
With that, Gordon left in a hurry.