Ch. 1221..1230
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1221
Morgan and a few female bodyguards came rushing up to Charlotte upon Gordon’s departure. “Ms. Lindberg! I just found out that Robbie and Ellie were taken away by Mr. Nacht’s men. Lupine is chasing after them as we speak.”
Charlotte said despondently, “Ask her to come back. There’s no point in chasing them; we’d never catch up to them anyway.”
“B-But-”
“Charlotte!” Louis interrupted Morgan’s protests as he ran toward Charlotte. “Are you okay?”
She lifted her head and stared at him blankly before glancing at Robert and Sherlyn in the distance, feeling torn.
Louis immediately comforted her, “Charlotte, I heard that Zachary brought the kids with him. Don’t worry; I’ll talk to him. You should rest in your room and leave everything to me.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Charlotte bowed lightly to Robert and Sherlyn on the way to the manor.
Sherlyn sighed and said, “She’s so calm. The average woman would’ve freaked out at such an incident. Her composure is admirable.”
“She’s a Lindberg, after all. Mr. Lindberg would never tolerate fools,” Robert commented sulkily.
Sherlyn nodded in agreement. “I guess you’re right. Anyway, what’s with your attitude? You’re behaving as if I did something wrong.”
Her ignorance stoked Robert’s anger. “You are in the wrong! Did you have any idea what you just did?”
Sherlyn retorted petulantly, “What did I do wrong? The Lindbergs and the Nachts are enemies. Why do we need to walk on eggshells around the Nacht family when Louis is marring a Lindberg?”
“We can’t afford to offend either of them. The business world is like a battlefield; it’s utterly unpredictable. It’s always to our benefit to maintain a good relationship with powerful families for the stability of our future,” explained Robert angrily.
“I don’t understand.”
Robert was incensed. “You don’t understand? Just a few months ago, the Nacht family ran into trouble while the Lindbergs basked in their success. Look at how quickly the tables have turned. The Nachts have returned to their former glory, yet the Lindberg Corporation is fraught with danger. That’s the whole reason why I dared not cross Zachary when we arranged this marriage between Louis and Charlotte. The Nachts could always make a comeback in the future. How could you mess things up at such a crucial time, offending Zachary of all people! Do you wish to cut off our backup plan?”
“Dear Lord, how could this be? Should we even proceed with the marriage then?” Sherlyn wailed.
“It’s a week to the wedding, and there’s no way for us to contact Mr. Lindberg.” Robert frowned and added worriedly, “In any case, we should continue preparing for the wedding. Who knows, we might hear from him soon.”
Sherlyn asked nervously, “If the Lindbergs go downhill, and the Nachts are on the rise, aren’t we labeling ourselves as the Nacht family’s enemy by pushing through with this wedding?”
“No worries about that; you’ve already turned us into their enemies. You were so aggressive earlier, insulting and threatening Zachary. Our backup plan was long gone.” Robert’s jaw clenched with fury.
Sherlyn was distraught. “I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me? Oh dear, what should we do? Can we salvage this situation?”
“You need to visit him and personally apologize to him. Then, we can only hope that Mr. Lindberg will resolve his matters and restore Lindberg Corporation to its former glory!”
“Okay, that’s great. If there’s an opportunity to apologize to Zachary in person, I promise I’ll be on my best behavior. I’ll do anything to fix this,” came Sherlyn’s fervent promise.
“The best thing you can do now is to keep your mouth shut and stop creating problems for me.”
She stared at her husband wordlessly and swallowed her indignance.
Charlotte immediately dialed Zachary’s number once she got to her room. He rejected her call.
When she tried again, the call could not go through.
He blocked my number.
Charlotte used to do this to Zachary in the past, and now he was giving her a taste of her own medicine.
She paused to think for a moment before calling Robbie’s number. The call failed to connect as his phone was switched off. The same thing happened when she attempted to call Jamie and Ellie.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1222
Zachary was royally pissed at Charlotte’s rejection, and he made his stance clear by cutting off her means of contact with their children.
Charlotte panicked, well-aware of how ruthless Zachary could be. He has the means to keep me from seeing my children forever. What on earth should I do?
She was pacing the room anxiously just as Lupine returned.
“Ms. Lindberg! The kids were taken away by people from the Nacht family.”
Charlotte frowned and replied, “I know.”
Lupine sported some injuries, likely from exchanging hands with Bruce. Thankfully, it seemed like he had contained himself, leaving Lupine with superficial wounds.
Lupine began recounting the events that had happened earlier. “It started with Bruce playing with the kids. He must’ve drugged them when I wasn’t paying attention. Once the kids were sleeping soundly, he and his men brought them away. I noticed something was off and immediately tried to grab the kids, but I was no match for Bruce. By the time Gordon showed up, they were already gone, and he said it would be rash to go after them when they were the ones who had strength in numbers. Ms. Lindberg, I’m so sorry for my error. Please punish me as you see fit.”
Charlotte sighed and said, “It’s not your fault. I should’ve been more careful last night.”
“Did Zachary do this because he was angry about you and Louis? How did your talk go?” Lupine asked carefully.
Morgan piqued up instead, “How else did you think it went? They even pulled out their guns. If Sir Robert hadn’t arrived and apologized, we’d be standing in the middle of a blood bath by now.”
“You’re right about that; his temper is notorious.” Lupine scrunched her brows and wailed, “I should’ve accompanied Ms. Lindberg last night, then none of this would’ve happened.”
“I fought with Marino earlier as well. I wanted to protect Ms. Lindberg, but he kept holding me back, so we ended up brawling with each other.” Morgan became furious as she recalled the scene in the study room.
Lupine appeared to be disappointed as she said, “I only bumped into Ben and didn’t even have the time to say anything to him. Dear God, how did everything turn into such a mess?”
Morgan glanced at her subtly, warning her to keep her mouth shut.
Charlotte was getting more and more dejected by the second.
Lupine coaxed her, “Ms. Lindberg, please don’t worry too much. Mr. Nacht may have his reservations about you, but the children will miss you once they’re awake. They’ll want to get in touch with you, and there’s nothing he can do to stop that.”
“Please leave the room; I’d like to be alone for a while,” Charlotte requested, rubbing her temples in frustration.
“Yes.” Lupine nodded, though she looked like she had more to say.
Charlotte noticed her hesitance and asked, “Is there anything else?”
“I, erm, asked someone to get this earlier.” Lupine blushed as she took out a box of morning-after pills and passed it to Charlotte. She lowered her volume to a whisper and added, “We can’t reverse what happened last night, but I’m sure you wouldn’t want to end up pregnant.”
Charlotte frowned as she received the package from Lupine. A second later, she threw away the package and screamed angrily, “None of this makes any sense! How could I… I don’t have any recollection of what happened last night!”
“But your body…” Lupine could hardly bring herself to complete her sentence.
She shared Charlotte’s disbelief, yet the hickeys that were on her body were irrefutable evidence. There can’t be another explanation.
Charlotte’s indignance grew. She turned to Morgan and ordered, “Ask Louis to come here. I have some questions for him.”
“What? Here, in your room?” Morgan’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Just do it.”
“Yes.” Morgan immediately left to summon Louis.
The man in question happened to be in his room, brainstorming with his parents on ways of helping Charlotte to get her kids from Zachary. Just then, someone knocked on his door, and a subordinate approached him soon after. “Sir Louis, Morgan says that Ms. Lindberg would like to invite you to her room.”
“Really? Charlotte wants me to go to her room? I’ll head over right away.” Louis was elated.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1223
Louis practically skipped to Charlotte’s room. “Charlotte, were you looking for me?”
She turned to her bodyguards and asked them to leave.
“Okay,” Lupine and Morgan said in unison and left.
Overjoyed, Louis rushed forward and tried to hug his fiancée. “Charlotte.”
She immediately avoided his arms and frowned. “I need to talk to you about something.”
“Sure.” Louis nodded eagerly and sat on a nearby couch.
“Last night, I remember you went to the bathroom to clean up after our argument. I drank some water on the couch, and I was so exhausted that I fell asleep.”
She paused for a moment before asking suspiciously, “How did we end up in bed together? Could you explain it to me in detail?”
Louis was startled by her question. He thought Charlotte had been moved by his actions earlier that day and had called him over because she had grown to depend on him.
Instead, here she was asking him about last night’s happenings like she was a cop interrogating a suspect.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Charlotte frowned as she continued staring at Louis. “We’ve been friends for so many years. You drank a lot last night and seemed a bit odd, but I trust that you would never take advantage of me in such a way. That’s why I’m asking you what exactly happened.”
He only caught on to two words in her lengthy explanation. “Take advantage? Did you think that I took advantage of you while you were asleep? Charlotte, is that the kind of person you think I am?”
Charlotte’s head throbbed in frustration. “Do you not understand what I’m asking? Look, I’m not in the mood to argue with you today. Please, could you just answer my question?”
“I don’t want to argue with you either. Charlotte, I know you don’t love me, but the fact remains that we slept with each other. Shouldn’t we come to terms with it and begin to care for one another? Why can’t you accept the truth?” Louis was infuriated.
She retorted, “What truth? I have no recollection of what happened last night. I only remember falling asleep on the couch. There was no way we could’ve slept with each other. Something’s not right about this situation.”
Louis became more agitated at her words. “Not right? Are you accusing me of taking advantage of you?”
“Well, I hope not. That’s why I’m asking you-”
He cut her off before she could continue. “Charlotte, I never imagined that you would think of me that way.” Shaking his head sadly, he continued, “I saw the way you looked at Zachary today. I know you still have feelings for him, but we’re about to get married. Why can’t you just accept reality?”
“Forget it; this is pointless. Please leave. I need to rest.” Charlotte sighed in resignation.
“I was still talking to Mom and Dad about approaching Zachary to get the kids back. I’ve done nothing but put your best interests at heart! We’re getting married in a week, and I hope you’d have organized your feelings by then!”
Louis turned and left the room after his despondent statement.
Charlotte was speechless at his petulant display. He refuses to tell me in detail about what happened last night, and the minute I suggest that something doesn’t seem right, he goes into a huff and accuses me of living in denial. It’s impossible to communicate with him!
She wondered how on earth she could figure out the truth at this rate.
Charlotte felt exhausted and decided to get a shower.
On her way to the bathroom, she noticed a stain on the white rug near her wardrobe. Moving closer, she realized that it was red and reminiscent of paint.
Charlotte immediately summoned Lupine to her room and had her send the stain for analysis.
She scoured her room for further clues, and she soon came across a few strands of hair in her wardrobe.
It looked like her hair, which seemed unusual to Charlotte.
The royal maids were meticulous and would come by to clean her room every morning. They would never allow strands of hair to cling to her clothing, let alone litter her wardrobe.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1224
Charlotte initially chalked the stray hair to the aftermath of an eventful day, which likely resulted in the maids only managing to change her bedsheets instead of doing a thorough cleaning of her room.
But if I haven't dumped anything I wore yesterday into the laundry basket in the wardrobe, how could my hair end up there? Are these even my hair? To whom could they belong to? If this is really my hair, how did it end up in here?
Charlotte had Lupine send the strands for analysis.
The results came back sooner than expected. The hair was indeed Charlotte's, and the red stain was nail polish.
It was a perplexing finding, given that Charlotte, Lupine, and Morgan did not use nail polish
They concluded that someone sporting red nail polish had come into Charlotte's room.
Lupine covertly investigated the members of the household for potential suspects.
She noticed that a few of Sherlyn’s personal maids wore nail polish, and three of them painted their nails red
Unfortunately, their nails seemed impeccably neat and showed no prior signs of chipping. Nonetheless, Lupine had the three maids put under surveillance in the hopes of uncovering new evidence.
Charlotte was disappointed that they could not make further progress in their investigation with the clue.
She had been calling Zachary and her children every day to no avail, which added to her frustration. Robert had been contacting Zachary frequently as well as he expressed his wish of delivering an apology in person with Sherlyn and Louis in tow. Zachary ignored his pleas.
Charlotte suffered a poor appetite over three days of radio silence from Zachary, while Robert and Sherlyn worried incessantly about potential paybacks from Zachary.
Louis’ efforts to track him down remained fruitless.
One night, Louis received a promising phone call during dinner. He turned to Charlotte, agitated as he said, “Charlotte, Mr. Murphy told me that he’s meeting Zachary at the Regium Hotel in Pillere tomorrow night.”
“Really?” Charlotte was elated as she summoned Lupine. “Get the car ready; we're going to Pillere.” "On it.” Lupine left to carry out her orders.
Louis suggested, “Let me handle the arrangements. I'll come with you. I'd like to talk to Zachary as well.”
“You shouldn't go; if he becomes angrier after seeing you, our discussion won't go anywhere.” Charlotte was adamant.
"But-"
Sherlyn chimed in with her two cents on the situation. “Charlotte, you're marrying Louis in four more days. We've been planning to head to Pillere tomorrow anyway for your wedding preparations.” “That's right.” Robert flashed a smile at Charlotte and continued, “I'll be busy greeting guests as well. Many of them have flown here from across the globe to attend your wedding despite their busy schedules. We must show them our utmost respect as a sign of our gratitude.”
The couple's words hit Charlotte like a bucket of cold water. She only realized then how soon she would be walking down the aisle with Louis, and the thought filled her with dread. She even had the urge to call off the entire wedding, though she could not bring herself to utter her request. “Charlotte, I understand if you want to discuss the matters of your children with Zachary privately. We could still head to Pillere together tomorrow morning, right? Then you can meet him after we've settled down,” Louis offered, not wanting to make things difficult for Charlotte.
“Okay.” He had phrased his suggestion in such a way that it would be rude and inconsiderate of her to reject it.
Louis replied happily, “All right, that's settled then.” He got his men started on the travel arrangements right away.
Sherlyn added with a smile, “It's fine if Louis doesn't travel with you. Zachary's got a mean temper, and he might blow up when he sees Louis. We have the utmost faith in you, Charlotte!”
Her words were a thinly-veiled warning for Charlotte not to betray their trust while she was in Pillere.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1225
Charlotte felt uneasy about Sherlyn’s words; she could not, however, deny that anyone would naturally be worried about their future daughter-in-law meeting an ex-husband alone at a hotel.
Instead of voicing her discomfort, she set down her cutlery and declared, “I’m going to see Danrique’s kids. Please enjoy your dinner.”
“All right,” Sherlyn acknowledged briefly before turning back to her meal.
Louis placed his cutlery on the table and offered, “I’ll accompany you, Charlotte.”
She dismissed his offer coolly. “That won’t be necessary; you should stay here with your parents. I want to be alone for a while.”
Charlotte scuttled off soon after.
Louis watched her departing figure with a forlorn expression. His efforts to grow closer to her were always met with a frosty demeanor.
Despite their engagement, Charlotte had never once opened her heart to him.
Nothing he did could convince her to accept him as a romantic partner.
In the meantime, Charlotte had arrived at the playroom to meet Danrique’s kids.
The triplets seemed unusually listless that day, fiddling with their Legos distractedly. Their chattering selves were nowhere to be found, plunging the room into silence.
Charlotte asked gently, “What’s wrong? Why aren’t any of you playing?”
Alpha pouted and replied, “Ellie isn’t here, so it’s not fun. Robbie’s missing too. He doesn’t play with us, but he always sits beside us like he’s protecting us.”
“Aunt Charlotte, where did they go?” Beta tugged on Charlotte’s sleeve and asked, “Where did Jamie go? He looks like Robbie, and he knows how to do cartwheels. It was so cool! Where did they go to?”
“Did a bad person take them away?” Gamma asked with puppy-dog eyes.
She added, “Yesterday, I saw a super tall man wearing black clothes. He looked so fierce, just like a bad guy! Did he take Robbie, Jamie, and Ellie away?”
“That’s their father. He’s not a bad guy,” Charlotte explained with a smile.
“Really?”
Her answer piqued the curiosity of all three kids, who crowded around her, bursting with questions of their own.
“So that tall, fierce bad guy was Robbie, Jamie, and Ellie’s father? Does that mean he’s your husband?”
“No, he doesn’t have to be her husband. Mommy and Daddy aren’t married, but Daddy is still our Daddy.”
“Oh yeah, you’re right. Aunt Charlotte is marrying Sir Louis, so Sir Louis is her husband.”
“Then, who should we call Uncle?”
“Silly, of course it’s Sir Louis.”
“Then what do we call that tall fierce man?”
“We’ll call him the tall, fierce bad guy!”
“That’s too long. I can’t remember it.”
“Then we’ll just call him bad guy!”
“Okay! I can remember that!”
The triplets chattered among themselves and even came up with a nickname for Zachary.
Charlotte could not help but laugh at their antics, though it was a bittersweet moment that reminded her of her missing children.
She wondered how Zachary would explain things to them. If they found out about what happened, would they hate me?
Charlotte could not sit still any longer and told Lupine, “Get the car ready. We’re leaving for Pillere in half an hour.”
“Huh? Aren’t we setting off tomorrow morning with Sir Louis and his family?”
“I can’t wait anymore. Let’s go now. I’ll get Dr. Felch, and I want you to settle the travel arrangements ASAP. We’ll go to Pillere with these kids and the doctor,” came Charlotte’s firm orders.
“Got it.” Lupine immediately got to work.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1226
Charlotte felt sorry for making Dr. Felch run around with her, especially at his old age.
Still, it would be far worse to leave him and Danrique’s children at the manor while she traveled to Pillere alone; after all, her relationship with the Laurents was, at best, strained.
Louis was as loving as ever toward her, but Robert and Sherlyn had begun to behave differently around her.
Charlotte knew that Danrique’s continued absence as the wedding approached complicated matters.
Robert and Sherlyn had probably begun to assume that Danrique’s agreement to the marriage was no more than a safety net for Charlotte and her children.
They might even be beating themselves up for allying with the wrong family now that the Lindberg Corporation was in trouble while the Nacht Group had successfully made a comeback.
If the Lindberg Corporation toppled, they would have nowhere to turn to after Sherlyn’s irredeemable behavior toward Zachary.
They would have lost more than they had expected.
While Robert and Sherlyn’s behavior was understandable, it spoke volumes about their lack of compassion.
Charlotte could not believe how she had ever thought of Louis’ family as noble and sincere people. I must’ve been blind.
She went to the loft to tell Dr. Felch about her plans to go to Pillere.
He seemed confused as he asked, “Aren’t you and Sir Louis getting married in three days? Why are you heading to Pillere early? Did something happen?”
Charlotte knew she would eventually have to come clean about her motives. ”To tell you the truth, Zachary came by a couple of days ago and brought our children away. I’d like to talk to him in Pillere about it.”
“All right.” Dr. Felch smiled in response. “I’m always in this loft preparing medicine when I’m not treating anyone, and I’ve been sorely unaware of the happenings in the manor.”
She eked out regretfully, “I’m sorry for forcing you to travel again, Dr. Felch. After I’ve settled things in Pillere, I promise I’ll send you home.”
“Are there direct flights from Arkfield? I can fly back myself.” Dr. Felch had been planning on returning home for a while now.
“You’re thinking of leaving now? But I haven’t been able to thank you properly for your service yet,” Charlotte said uneasily.
The doctor merely smiled and replied, “There’s plenty of time for that. You and Ellie have almost recovered, so there’s no need for me to stay any longer.”
Just then, his thoughts drifted to Zachary. “I do recall Zachary falling sick some time ago. Is he feeling better now?”
Clueless about his illness, Charlotte answered, “He lost a lot of weight when I saw him last, though he seemed to be in good spirits. I guess he has recovered.”
“That’s wonderful.” Dr. Felch nodded before adding, “I’ll get going then; the two of you have almost completed your courses of medication anyway. Please feel free to visit me in Phoenix City if you require my services in the future.”
“Okay, I’ll handle your travel arrangements right away.”
Charlotte had Morgan hire a private jet for Dr. Felch. There were no routes directly connecting Arkfield to Phoenix City, and upon further discussion, Dr. Felch decided to transit in H City.
He wanted to pay his respects to the late Richard Windt and visit some friends. He also insisted that flying home from H City afterward would not be a hassle.
Charlotte assigned two bodyguards and two maids to accompany Dr. Felch, Sam, and Hayley to the airport. She instructed them to take care of the doctor and ensure his safe return to his home in Phoenix City.
After settling Dr. Felch’s travel arrangements, Charlotte was ready to depart for Pillere with Danrique’s kids in tow.
Her convoy began approaching the gates of the manor, only to be stopped a moment later by bodyguards from the Laurent family. “Apologies, Ms. Lindberg, but you cannot leave the manor without Sir Robert and Lady Sherlyn’s permission.”
Charlotte was furious. They must’ve told their staff that only Dr. Felch was allowed to leave.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1227
Morgan exploded, “Ms. Lindberg isn’t a puppet of the Laurent family. They don’t have the right to control her movements. Now step aside!”
“I’m sorry, but I’m just following my orders.” The bodyguards refused to budge.
Meanwhile, one of them had contacted Robert and Sherlyn about Charlotte’s plan.
Soldiers soon surrounded the convoy, making it impossible for them to leave.
Charlotte scoffed at the outrageous effort to keep her in the manor. They must be worried about becoming the laughingstock of the nation if I became a runaway bride.
She suspected that Dr. Felch’s departure tipped them off about her early departure plans. They got all these soldiers here in time to stop me. They’re practically cowering me into submission! How lovely!
Gordon piqued up, “Ms. Lindberg, say the word, and we’ll run these men over. Don’t be scared of these soldiers. They’re a bunch of weaklings!”
As Danrique’s right-hand man, Gordon typically bustled through life fearlessly.
Dozens of soldiers were nothing but child’s play to him.
“It’s fine. We shouldn’t clash with the Laurent family directly before Danrique appears. He’s the one who agreed to this marriage, after all,” Charlotte declared calmly.
Lupine asked quietly, “What should we do now?”
“Now, we wait.” Charlotte leaned into her car seat and stroked Fifi’s feathers. She even instructed the maids to keep the sleeping children warm.
A disgruntled Morgan complained, “Why should we wait for them? I’m confident they wouldn’t fire their guns even if we barged through their troops. Even if they did, there’s nothing to be scared of.”
“Shut up.” Lupine glared at her.
“I-I-” Morgan sputtered with anger.
Sherlyn arrived in a horse-drawn carriage sooner than expected.
She made a show of telling off her bodyguards and soldiers for their audacity in blocking Charlotte’s convoy. Sherlyn even mentioned Charlotte’s future position as the matriarch of the Laurent family, and she sternly reminded her staff to treat her with the utmost respect.
It was a performance worthy of an Oscar, though, to the Lindbergs, it was nothing short of pretentious and offensive.
Charlotte hugged Fifi silently and admired Sherlyn’s hypocrisy.
Her show complete, Sherlyn approached Charlotte’s car and said, “Please don’t be angry, Charlotte. I’ve told them off for their rude behavior. Ah, I see you’ve brought the children along with you. Might I ask where you are going at such a late hour?”
“To Pillere. I want to meet Zachary earlier and discuss our children.” Charlotte did not beat around the bush.
Sherlyn gasped and said, “Didn’t we agree that our family should set off together tomorrow morning? It will be exhausting for you to head there alone with three kids in tow. And the journey is so long-”
“I’ve arranged for a private jet,” Charlotte interrupted. She had not missed the way Sherlyn stressed the words ‘our family.’ “Don’t worry, Lady Sherlyn. I’d just like to get the discussion out of the way as soon as possible. Rest assured, I’ll definitely meet you the day before the wedding!”
“Look here, Charlotte. I’m only saying this because I’m worried about you.” With a smile that did not quite reach her eyes, Sherlyn added meaningfully, “You’re marrying Louis in three days. All eyes are going to be on this wedding of the century. If some unsavory news were to get out then, what would it do to the reputation of the Laurent family and the Lindberg Corporation? I’m sure you understand my concerns.”
Charlotte replied lightly, “Of course, I understand. That’s exactly why I’m trying to meet Zachary before the wedding. We’ve got to talk things through before then, or who knows if he might show up at the wedding and cause a scene. It would be impossible to salvage our families’ reputations then, wouldn’t you agree?”
Her reply rendered Sherlyn speechless. She’s right. Zachary’s pretty famous himself. If he wreaks havoc at the wedding, it could be a huge blow to our image.
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Soon, Sherlyn regained her senses. “That’s why I am not stopping you to meet Zachary. I just thought that it would be better if we accompany you back to Pillere and make some arrangements before you go see him.”
“Arrangements?” Charlotte furrowed her brows. “What kind of arrangement?”
“You’re the daughter of the rich. I think you’d understand.” Sherlyn displayed a smile. “You should at least let me clear out the journalists hiding around the hotel first. Louis won’t interfere in your meeting with Zachary, but he’ll have to accompany you to the hotel…”
“You’re just making things more complicated.” Charlotte was left bewildered. “You’re just tipping Zachary off like this. We would lose our chance to discuss with him by then.”
“I’m not a fool. I won’t let him find out about it.”
“Lady Sherlyn.” Charlotte had no intention to further debate with Sherlyn. “Please let me handle this myself. Please ask them to let me go.”
“Charlotte, I’m telling you all this because I treat you like family.” Sherlyn’s expression turned stern instantly. “You and Louis are engaged. There’s no chance between you and Zachary anymore. You should know your place by now and get ready for the wedding. All your effort will be a waste if the loss outweighs the gain.”
“Haha!” Charlotte let out a boisterous laugh as she commanded, “Start the car!”
“Yes,” Morgan responded without hesitation.
“Charlotte, what are you doing?” Sherlyn was pissed. “I’m trying to advise you here, but you…”
Before she could finish her sentence, the car started moving forward.
The bodyguards stood out of its way responsively, not daring to stop her.
“Are you all dead? Stop her!” Sherlyn shouted in exasperation.
However, before they could make a move, Gordon took out his gun and fired a few shots near their feet. They got intimidated and immediately retreated.
While they were thinking of taking out their guns and firing back, Louis arrived at the scene and shouted, “What are you guys doing? Stand down!”
With that, Charlotte’s car drove off and disappeared into the horizon.
“Mom, what do you think you’re doing?” Not only did Louis not comfort Sherlyn, but he started blaming her. “Charlotte wants to go back to Pillere earlier to see her children. There’s nothing wrong with that. Why did you try to stop her? And why did you even ask your men to act violently? You’re going to ruin our relationship!”
“Do you think your relationship with her is real?” Sherlyn was utterly displeased. “Did she tell you that she’s going to meet with her ex-husband? I’ve never seen such a generous fiancé like you.”
“You…”
“You’ll see. I bet something will happen after Charlotte meets with Zachary. If the wedding cannot be held as scheduled, our family will become the laughing stock of the whole world.”
Upon saying that, Sherlyn stomped away in exasperation.
Louis froze on the spot, troubled by his mother’s words.
It was the dream of his life to get married to Charlotte. Even though Charlotte did not love him, he still believed he would win her heart one day.
Plus, her person belonged to him now.
There were still three days left until the wedding. He was determined to protect their relationship at all costs.
With that in mind, Louis instructed his subordinate, “Prepare the car. We’re going to Pillere.”
“Yes, Sir Louis.”
“Lady Sherlyn is such a hypocrite. How dare she try to threaten Ms. Lindberg? What a vicious woman!” Morgan expressed her discontentment while driving.
“We’ve played nice all this while. We owe them nothing now. Just let them do what they need to do.”
Lupine was relatively rational in this matter.
“Gordon, please try to contact Danrique again,” Charlotte uttered suddenly.
“Okay.”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1229
On the flight from Arkfield to Pillere, Charlotte’s mind was loaded with worries.
Gordon tried to reach Danrique but failed again.
Even all of Danrique’s aides had cut off their contacts.
The news got blocked in Erihal, so they could not get their hands on any updates. Everyone they came across refused to touch on the matter.
Charlotte was overcome with anxiety. When she left Xendale a month ago, even though Charlotte was worried, she still believed Danrique could handle everything. In her heart, there was nothing Danrique could not solve.
She did not expect things to escalate out of hands.
She blamed herself for taking things for granted all this while. She had been enjoying Danrique’s protection, but she never tried to know him or the Lindberg family better.
Even when Danrique got into trouble, she was the last one to know about it.
I want to help him. But it seems too late now…
She stared outside the window, feeling lost. She wanted to go back to Erihal to find Danrique, but she could not leave behind her children.
“Ms. Lindberg, don’t worry too much.” Lupine tried to comfort her. “Let’s keep our faith in him. I’m sure he’ll overcome all difficulties and come to F Nation to pick us up.”
“That’s right. He’ll be fine,” Morgan added.
Charlotte lowered her head without a word. Based on Robert and Sherlyn’s attitude toward her, she knew Danrique had gotten into trouble.
If he doesn’t show up on the wedding day, then it means something terrible has happened.
“Ms. Lindberg, you don’t have to worry.” Gordon noticed Charlotte’s troubled look. “Before leaving, Mr. Lindberg has reminded us not to believe any rumor that we hear. He said he would come back for you and the kids.”
“Okay.” Charlotte nodded upon hearing that.
Seeing Gordon’s composed gesture, she let out a sigh of relief. Lupine’s right. I should trust in Danrique. There’s nothing that can beat him. All I need to do now is to take good care of the kids. I must not become a burden for him.
Charlotte shifted her gaze toward the three kids who were sleeping soundly, and her heart began to calm down.
Soon, the plane landed in Pillere.
Getting down from the plane, the kids were still dozing off. Lupine had arranged accommodation for them. With that, they settled down in a villa in the suburbs.
The kids had woken up by the time they arrived at the villa. Overwhelmed with curiosity and excitement, they wandered around, looking for Robbie, Jamie, and Ellie.
They thought their playmates would be there waiting for them.
Looking at their excited looks, Charlotte felt warmth surging within her heart. It would be great if Robbie and the rest were here. The six of them would be able to reunite.
“They are so energetic.” Morgan looked extremely weary, following the kids around. “Even me as a martial art practitioner cannot keep up with them.”
“Haha. Kids have limitless energy when it comes to having fun.” Lupine let out a chuckle. “It’s three-thirty in the morning. Let them play for a while longer, and then they should head back to their room.”
“I’ll look after them. Please get some rest,” Gordon uttered with concern. “Ms. Lindberg, have a good sleep. You still need to talk with Mr. Nacht tomorrow night.”
“I can’t sleep.” Charlotte could not relax. “Gordon, please help me find out where Zachary is. I want to meet him as soon as possible.”
“Of course.” Gordon sprang into action after leaving the kids to Lupine and Morgan.
Charlotte went back to her room and took a shower. After getting dressed, she lay on the bed and called Zachary.
She wanted to try her luck one more time.
But to her disappointment, the call failed to go through again.
D*mn that man! How could he block me? Can’t we just talk it out in a civil manner?
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1230
Gordon had gone to investigate for over two hours, and there was still no news from him.
Feeling tired, Charlotte slowly dozed off on her bed.
The following day, she was woken up by the thunderstorm outside.
Her heart skipped a beat as she had an ominous feeling that something terrible was about to happen. She shifted her eyes toward the windows. It’s such heavy rain outside.
After Dr. Felch’s treatment and resting for a few months, Charlotte had recovered completely.
Nonetheless, her mental problem could not be cured through medication.
Whenever there was a thunderstorm, it would remind her about Mrs. Berry and that particular rainy day in Coldbridge.
Although Sharon and Zara had died, and justice had been served, she was still in trauma because of that tragedy.
Charlotte had a feeling that whenever there was a thunderstorm, something terrible would happen to her life.
Knock! Knock! Rapping sounds came from the door, followed by Lupine’s voice. “Ms. Lindberg, are you awake?”
“Come in.” Charlotte got up and put on her robe.
Lupine opened the door and came in with a hot teapot in her hands. “Let’s drink something hot. The temperature is dropping out there.”
“Is there any news from Gordon?”
Leaning against the couch, Charlotte received the fruit tea from Lupine.
“Not yet.” Lupine shook her head. “It’s not easy to get a hold of Mr. Nacht’s whereabouts. It might take some time.”
“All right,” Charlotte responded briefly while sipping on her tea,
“The kids are sleeping again.” Lupine smiled. “They’ve eaten something before going to sleep. And they’ve been asking for you. I said you were sleeping and you would find them after you woke up. Only then were they willing to go back to their room.”
“They’re still kids. What a simple life they have.”
Charlotte’s lips curled into a smile, thinking about the three kids. But when she thought of her own children, her expression darkened.
“They’re so unlike Robbie and Ellie who have been through a lot. Especially Robbie who has probably known by now that his parents are in a conflict. In fact, I reckoned that he’s worried about us right now.”
Lupine comforted, “I know you miss your children. But look at the bright side, they’ll be safe as long as they’re with their father. Let’s have a civil talk with Mr. Nacht after you meet him.”
“Zachary has a big temper. I doubt we could talk nicely.” Charlotte furrowed her brows. “Besides, I think he’s pissed off for real this time. He blocked my contact, and he doesn’t even let the kids contact me…”
“You guys had broken up a long time ago. So what right does he have to be pissed?” Lupine pouted with indignation. “He was the one who forced you away at the wedding.
He was the one who wronged you. Not to mention, he wrongly believed the sisters from the Blackwood family and defended Zara. And the list goes on. What right does he have to blame you?”
A wry smile crept upon Charlotte’s lips upon hearing that. “There’s no right or wrong in a relationship. He’s a victim as well. It was Mr. Henry who wanted to chase me away, and he was the one who believed in Cynthia. Of course, Zachary has his faults, too, for not helping me out.
He has broken my heart deeply. Besides, he’s the one that caused Mrs. Berry’s death. By right, I should have killed him for revenge. But I chose to put down my hatred for my children’s sake. I left H City to start a new life.
And I even agreed to marry Louis to avoid him. I thought I would be able to cut ties with him completely. But now I realize, as long as we still have the kids, our relationship would never end…”