Ch. 1271..1280
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1271
“That’s right,” chimed in Sherlyn, “You’re a man, and it’s not like you’d lose a limb or anything from this. There is no need to be sad at all.”
“Get out,” requested Louis. He didn’t want to listen to them because he felt like his parents didn’t know him at all. They don’t understand my sorrow, my pain, my hopelessness, or the betrayal I feel…
“Louis…”
“Okay, we’ll leave you alone.”
Sherlyn had more to say, but Robert stopped her. He led his wife away and told Louis, “Rest well. The sun will rise again tomorrow, and everything will start anew.”
“That’s right. I will go horseback riding with you tomorrow,” cooed Sherlyn.
“I won’t go. I am too ashamed to see anyone now,” replied Louis. He still had his head down and refused to let anyone see the terrible state he was in.
“That is nothing. I will destroy anyone who dares to mock you,” cooed Sherlyn quickly. Louis’ reply had truly gotten her worried.
“No one will know of this, so you can rest assured. I have already stopped anyone from spreading the news,” informed Robert. He was trying to comfort Louis as well.
“I don’t care what anyone else thinks. All I care about is…” replied Louis, whose voice was getting thick when he said, “Charlotte must think so poorly of me now. She must look down on me and see me in distaste. Heck, she’s probably cursing me in her mind now.”
“No, that won’t happen,” cooed Sherlyn quickly, “Don’t worry. She has no right to judge you whatsoever. I mean, she and Zachary also slept…”
Robert glared over and scolded Sherlyn while keeping his voice down to cut her words short. She never got to finish her sentence.
Sherlyn clamped her mouth shut quickly, and no longer dared to say anything else.
However, Louis had already heard what she said. He mocked himself, “That’s right. The relationship between Charlotte and I is fake, but the one she has with Zachary is real. I am such a big, fat failure…”
“Louis, my boy, that is not what I mean. I simply meant that the two of you are even now,” explained Sherlyn, “Let the past be in the past, and instead focus on the future…”
“She doesn’t love me,” announced Louis pitifully and sadly, “She doesn’t even care that I slept with another woman and would watch me have sex with Diana just so she can leave.”
Louis knew everything all too well. Charlotte already has all the evidence she needs from the last encounter, but she kept it hidden. She even set Diana up and conned my mom over to catch us in bed together. That means that she simply wants to use this as an excuse to leave this place. She doesn’t care if I have sex with anyone…
That was what hurt Louis the most and why his heart was utterly crushed.
“That b*tch!”
Sherlyn gritted her teeth in hatred when she thought about how much Charlotte had hurt Louis.
“If so, we can cancel the wedding, Louis. There are plenty of great women out there, and Charlotte Lindberg is not the only fish in the ocean,” suggested Robert. He thought that there was no point in trying to force Charlotte to stay anymore.
“Cancel the wedding?” blurted Sherlyn. She turned and stared at her husband curiously before lowering her voice and asking, “Won’t we be the laughing stock if we cancel the wedding? The public will claim that we only cancel it because Danrique is in trouble. Everyone will call us heartless, and our family’s reputation will suffer.”
“This wedding is already a problem,” whispered Robert, “If they get married, we will inevitably offend Zachary, and he will attack us even if the wedding goes off without a hitch. Besides, we will also face countless other troubles in the future if things between Zachary and Charlotte remain murky and ambiguous.
“On the other hand, canceling the wedding can eliminate all future problems. We can find a valid excuse and tell everyone that the wedding is only off because Charlotte cheated on Louis with Zachary…”
“Okay,” replied Sherlyn, “It’s frustrating that the b*tch is getting what she wants and is getting off easy, though.”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1272
“I will only marry Charlotte and will never be with anyone else,” murmured Louis softly, “But she doesn’t love me, not even a little…”
“Louis, why do all this to yourself?” asked Robert while frowning.
“I thought that I could change her mind with my sincere heart, but now I know that love is something that can never be forced. She doesn’t love me, and that’s that,” replied Louis. He finally lifted his head and was begging his parents with his eyes when he requested, “Mom, Dad, please let her go…”
“Stop messing around!” scolded Robert who was on the verge of losing his temper, “Even if we are to cancel the wedding, we’d still need her to cooperate and talk to the press. She must tell everyone why she wanted to cancel the wedding because only then will we be spared the media outrage.
“Also, if you’re still in love with her, then we definitely can’t set her free. There’s no way of even locating her after she walks out that door!”
“That’s right,” chimed in Sherlyn, “Stop being childish, Louis, and listen to us. We’re doing this for your sake.”
“Enough!” growled Louis. They said the words he feared hearing the most, so he demanded, “You will let her go right now!”
“Why are you being so childish and talking nonsense?” complained Sherlyn as she went over to help Louis up, “Come on, get up…”
Louis got a sharp cutter out of his possession and pressed it against his wrist before Sherlyn could even finish speaking.
“My gosh, Louis, what are you doing? Put the knife down now. Don’t scare me like this,” said Sherlyn, who was so scared that she had turned pale.
“Put the knife down,” requested Robert. He was scared mindless as well.
“I have had it with the two of you,” replied Louis before he added numbly, “Either she goes or I go. Choose now.”
“Louis…”
Sherlyn hadn’t even finished speaking before Louis pushed the blade down. Crimson red blood slowly oozed out.
“Ah!” Sherlyn was so terrified that she screamed.
“Okay, okay, I’ll set her free right away,” compromised Robert immediately, “Just put the knife down. Do it!”
“Let her go right now. I will put the knife away once she is free,” insisted Louis stubbornly, “If she doesn’t go free, I will die right in front of you both.”
“Why are you hurting yourself like this? My silly son. Charlotte knew that you will go to the extreme to protect her, and that is why she planned all of this. Don’t you know that you are walking right into her trap?” said Sherlyn. She was so nervous that she was stomping a little.
“Yes, I am aware of that. She would rather watch me sleep with someone else just to get out of this place. That means that she truly doesn’t want to stay, so it’s only right that I give her what she wants,” replied Louis before he smiled sorrowfully.
“Louis…”
“Let her go!” demanded Louis. He pushed the blade further into his wrist and prompted his blood to ooze out faster.
“Okay, okay, I will set her free right away,” replied Robert. He no longer hesitated and shouted to his men, “Come in!”
“Yes.” Avril and two bodyguards barged in.
“Go get Ms. Lindberg and set her free immediately,” instructed Robert nervously.
“Okay.”
Avril was quick to rush to Charlotte’s room. She knocked on the door but didn’t bother to wait for a response before barging in.
Inside the room, Charlotte and all four of her bodyguards were already dressed. They even had their shoes on and were waiting for Avril to show up.
“Looks like you have already anticipated that your plan will work, Ms. Lindberg,” commented Avril as she stared meaningfully at Charlotte, “As you wished, Sir Robert would like to ask you to leave.”
“That is great!” replied Lupine and Morgan. Both were ecstatic. Huh, I didn’t expect everything to go so smoothly. I actually thought we’d have to wait a few days before we can leave.
“Thank you!” said Charlotte before she got up to leave. She later asked, “How is Louis doing?”
“Sir Louis cut his own wrist and lost a lot of blood. The white rug has turned crimson red…” answered Avril and added grimly, “You truly are cold and evil, Ms. Lindberg.”
Charlotte paused and stopped walking. She turned her head in the direction where Louis’ room was. Intense remorse and anxiety filled her heart.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1273
“Should we go check up on him, Ms. Lindberg?” asked Lupine softly.
Charlotte tilted her gaze down and remained quiet for a few seconds before she finally stepped forward to leave. She said, “Unnecessary gestures will only further break his heart. It’s better if we just rip the band-aid off. Let’s go.”
Lupine didn’t reply. She simply followed Charlotte’s orders.
Avril led everyone down the stairs to where the guards had already pulled the car up. The keys were still in the ignition, and the car was running.
“Goodbye, Ms. Lindberg,” greeted Avril politely as she bowed to Charlotte.
Charlotte bowed back. She shifted her gaze to the second floor where Louis’ room was located.
He was staring at her from the windows in his room, even though his wrist was still bleeding. Two nurses were at his side and tending to his wound.
Sherlyn and a few other maids had him surrounded and were helping him out as well.
They were too far apart, so Charlotte couldn’t see Louis’ expression nor could she bid him goodbye. All she could do was turn around and get in the car with guilt burning inside her.
“Charlotte Lindberg!” A proud and cruel voice suddenly came over.
Charlotte turned over to see Robert standing by the door with his hands behind his back. Hatred donned his face when he threatened, “Someday, you will pay back everything you owe us.”
Charlotte didn’t reply. She simply bowed with her head down before she got into the car.
As the car traveled down the road, Charlotte checked on Louis via the rearview mirror. That was when she saw that he was kneeling on the floor and crying so much that he was trembling.
She couldn’t hear his voice, but she could sense his hopelessness and devastation.
Her gaze tilted down, and a drop of tear rolled down her cheek.
It would be a lie to say that she wasn’t hurt at all.
Sherlyn was responsible for most of the damage done, and Diana had further messed things up. However, it was possible that none of that would’ve happened if Charlotte had been firm in rejecting Louis.
Lupine couldn’t help sighing, either. “Sir Louis truly is an innocent bystander in all this,” commented Lupine.
“Let’s pray that he’ll grow and become stronger after this entire ordeal. It could turn out to be a good thing for him because he might never grow up without experiencing something like this,” added Morgan, who was feeling sorrowful as well.
“I wonder how Diana is right now,” murmured Jade, “I overheard a maid saying that they locked her in the basement and forced fed her the after pill.”
“Serves her right. It’s obvious that she wants to use underhanded methods like these to get pregnant with Sir Louis’ child and change her fate. There is no way Lady Sherlyn would let her have that,” said Emma who had usually been quiet.
“That is so stupid. One should always know their own place,” concluded Lupine.
“What did Sir Robert mean when he said those words just before we left?” asked Morgan. The more she thought about it, the more worried she became, so she asked, “Ms. Lindberg, was he threatening you?”
“Perhaps,” answered Charlotte while frowning deeply. She later instructed, “Check your phones immediately to see if we can get any signals. Call Gordon and have him start prepping everything. We must leave Pillere as quickly as possible.”
“Understood,” replied Lupine as she turned on her phone. She then added, “We still can’t get any signals. It’s likely we’ll have to leave the castle’s grounds before we can reach anyone else.”
Morgan sped up and drove out of the place soon after.
It took some time before they could make a call. Lupine was quick to dial Gordon’s number. Gordon picked up soon and greeted, “Hello.”
“Gordon, it’s me,” informed Lupine hurriedly, “We just left the castle, and Ms. Lindberg is asking you to prep everything quickly. We have to leave Pillere right away.”
“I am always ready and can start making the necessary arrangements right now. We’ll meet at the airport.”
“Okay.”
After hanging up, Lupine made another call to get the private jet ready.
“We’re finally leaving,” said Jade before she sighed a breath of relief and added, “I thought Sir Robert would’ve sent someone to chase after…”
“That fcking ashole is cruel and going back on his words!” interrupted Morgan angrily as she checked via the rearview mirror.
“Speed up,” instructed Charlotte calmly.
“Understood,” replied Morgan. She stepped on the gas and sped up like crazy to try to lose them.
“Shoot!” blurted Lupine, who suddenly thought about something important, “Do you think Sir Robert would have his men stationed at the airport?”
“Call Gordon and tell him not to go to the airport. Instead, he is to wait for my orders in the villa,” ordered Charlotte quickly and without hesitation.
“Understood,” replied Lupine before she called Gordon again.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1274
Lupine had just ended her conversation when their car was surrounded.
They were on their enemy’s turf, after all, so it didn’t really matter how fast they drove. They couldn’t stop the others from coming in from another location.
Over ten armored cars sped over from all directions and had Charlotte’s convoy completely surrounded.
“What do we do?” asked Jade as she panicked, “The weapons we stored in our car have been removed, so there is no way we can go against them now.”
“At worst, we’ll just drive ahead and smash over,” said Morgan unreasonably through her gritted teeth, “I doubt he has the guts to kill us.”
“Sir Robert looks like a serene guy. I can’t believe he’s actually that cruel,” said Lupine while frowning deeply, “What do we do, Ms. Lindberg?”
“Force our way out,” ordered Charlotte as she kept her gaze ahead, “Things have since changed. Our enemy can’t treat us civilly like they used to, and vice versa.”
“They truly are gutsy. Aren’t they worried that Mr. Lindberg would come after them after everything is settled?” growled Lupine angrily.
She had just finished complaining when she received a call from Gordon. He informed, “We got news from Erihal. Something happened to Mr. Lindberg.”
“What? W-What happened?” asked Lupine fearfully as she turned pale.
“Rumor is that he died in an explosion while traveling by sea,” replied Gordon with a broken heart. He was so sad that he could barely speak.
“How could that be?”
Lupine, Morgan, and the others were all lost. It was as if the apocalypse was nigh.
“Sir Robert must’ve heard about this as well. Hence, it is likely he won’t let Ms. Lindberg leave so easily. I’m already leading my people over to help out. Don’t do anything reckless and instead try to buy us some time.”
“Understood…”
After hanging up, the others turned to Charlotte and stared nervously. They asked, “Ms. Lindberg, you don’t think that the rumor is true, do you? Mr. Lindberg is still alive, isn’t he?”
Charlotte gripped her phone and had her head down without saying anything.
About a minute ago, she heard the news from Sean that Danrique had passed on.
She still couldn’t register that information and refused to accept that truth. This is not real. It can’t be!
“M-Ms. Lindberg…”
Bang!
A gunshot cut Lupine’s words short.
Moments later, over a dozen soldiers hopped out of the car and pointed their guns at the girls. One of the soldiers warned loudly, “Ms. Lindberg, please exit from your vehicle and follow us along.”
Charlotte shifted her gaze up and looked at the others. She had a calm expression on, but her emotion was actually running wildly.
Danrique had fallen, and every enemy the family had ever had no longer needed to be cautious. They were out for blood.
The Laurent family, in particular, couldn’t possibly keep their anger contained. Everyone was eager to kill Charlotte and her team.
“What do we do?” asked Lupine as she turned to Charlotte.
“We are members of the Lindberg family, and we will die before we bow down to our enemies,” answered Charlotte calmly, “We’ll be counting on you, Morgan.”
“Understood. We’ll go all out against these a*sholes!”
Morgan gripped the steering wheel and was ready to smash the car over at any given moment.
“It is futile to fight back, and I recommend against it,” warned a soldier as he aimed his gun over, “Mr. Lindberg has passed on, and Sir Robert has issued the order. We are permitted to kill you if you resist.”
Charlotte scoffed discriminatingly. Hah! That guy sure changes his stance quickly.
“B*stards,” growled Lupine through gritted teeth.
“Ram over on my count to three,” ordered Charlotte softly, “One!”
Morgan was already on standby. She slowly shifted her foot from the brakes to the accelerator.
“Two!”
Morgan was slowly speeding up.
“Three!”
As soon as Charlotte gave the orders, the car suddenly sped ahead viciously, like a wild horse that had just broken out of its cage.
Their enemies were mentally prepared, but they didn’t expect the car to speed up that quickly.
That forced them to back away in a panic, then fire their guns at the car.
Given Morgan’s driving skills, it was easy for her to break through most traps. Unfortunately, they were heavily surrounded by military-grade jeeps.
Morgan had to force her way against one jeep, and as she struggled, their enemies closed in on them and shot their tires.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1275
Debt Of Life
It didn’t take long before the tires were punctured with a loud bang!
Morgan hadn’t even had the chance to break through the cars before their enemies reached them.
“Get out of the car!” demanded the soldiers as they pointed their guns over.
Even the tires were rendered useless, so there was absolutely nothing Charlotte and her team could do to break free.
Morgan couldn’t tap into her talent or drive everyone to safety, under those circumstances, so she stared hopelessly at Charlotte.
“F*ck it,” grumbled Lupine as she clenched her fists and suggested, “Morgan, you will leave with Ms. Lindberg while the three of us buy you girls some time.”
“Okay,” replied Morgan while nodding.
“You will all die if I leave. I’ll stay. That way, everyone will at least have a shot at surviving,” said Charlotte while frowning deeply.
“But…” Lupine was about to refute when a soldier walked over to yank at the door.
Just then, the sound of a series of roaring engines hit everybody’s ears. The cars’ blinding headlights shot over as well.
Every soldier was stunned in place. When they turned around, they saw over ten heavy-duty cars zipping over like a pack of wild animals.
The soldiers panicked and quickly went to defend their territory, but the heavy-duty cars still knocked everything and everyone out of the way.
An all-out war broke out instantly.
The soldiers were trained by the books and had virtually zero combat experience, so they were no match against the men from the heavy-duty cars.
It didn’t take long before the soldiers were forced to back away.
Lupine, Morgan, and the others took advantage of that to get out of the car with Charlotte. They were about to leave when one heavy-duty car blocked their path.
Morgan clenched her fists. She was about to fight back when the driver popped his head out and called out to her. When she saw who the guy was, she couldn’t help smiling like an ecstatic fool and blurting, “Marino!”
“Get in the car,” said Ben while opening the doors to get everyone inside.
“What are you guys doing here? How did you know we’d be in trouble?” asked Charlotte in a surprised tone.
“Mr. Nacht had been paying attention to your safety this entire time. He personally issued the order for us to rescue everyone,” answered Ben.
Charlotte turned her head and checked via the windows. She saw that the Nacht family’s convoy was already leaving, and the Laurent family’s army was forced to flee as well.
“What else does Zachary know?” asked Charlotte when she turned her attention back over.
“He knows that Mr. Lindberg has passed on and that you are in grave danger now,” replied Ben carefully.
“Where is he now?”
Charlotte looked out the windows once more. A few cars were following close behind, but it was likely that Zachary wasn’t there.
“He’s waiting for you at the airport,” replied Ben politely, “My recommendation is that you call Gordon and have him take the kids to the airport. We can meet up there. Don’t worry. No one would dare stop the Nacht family’s private jet from lifting off.”
Charlotte tilted her gaze down and considered it before instructing Lupine, “Call Gordon.”
“Understood,” replied Lupine. She was quick to call Gordon after that.
It was a mess on the other end of the line as well. As suspected, Gordon was ambushed too, but he was confident that he could break through everything. He promised to take the kids and meet up with Charlotte at the airport.
Lupine reported the matter to Charlotte.
The latter instantly asked, “Ben, can we go help Gordon out?”
“He should be fine since he has a lot of subordinates…”
“Just get your a*s over!” demanded Lupine, who was getting nervous.
Being interrupted got Ben to turn to her meekly and change his stance. He said, “Okay, then let’s head over together.”
It was already three in the morning at the time, and that night was destined to be unpleasant.
Fortunately, Charlotte had the Nacht family’s support, so she reached Gordon quickly and smoothly. Everyone rushed to the airport together.
The three kids were sleeping soundly the entire time and had no idea what had happened.
At the airport. Everyone hopped out of the car.
Charlotte saw Zachary leaning against the side of the door and smoking.
The night’s wind was caressing his hair. He had lost weight, so his thin figure seemed lonely. Despite that, the powerful aura he exuded was still as strong as it had always been.
So much had happened. Charlotte thought that she would no longer need to count on Zachary after she had become stronger and smarter. Never in her life would she have anticipated that he would still be the one to rescue her when it truly mattered.
She walked to him and wanted to thank him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1276
Back To Their Country
“Aren’t you going to thank me?”
Zachary, however, spoke up with his brow raised. Arrogance and amusement donned every inch of his face.
“Where are the kids?” asked Charlotte. She checked the car behind him and noted that her kids weren’t there.
“They’ve already boarded the plane,” replied Zachary after he blew out some smokes. He officially invited, “Come back to H City with me. It’s safe there.”
Charlotte stared through the smoke and looked at him, then at the dozen of people behind her. She suddenly felt the heavy burden that had been placed on her shoulders, so she said icily, “There’s no need to trouble you for that, Mr. Nacht.”
The way she addressed me… It was distant and cold. It was as if they had returned to the time when she worked for his company.
“The kids miss their mommy,” shared Zachary as he flicked the ashes off his cigarette. His tone was nonchalant when he added, “I’ll give you one more chance to answer that question.”
“I have duties to fulfill,” informed Charlotte with a heavy heart. Still, she was surprisingly firm when she added, “I thank you for everything you’ve done, though. I trust that the kids will be fine with you, so I am okay.”
“You’re not going to fight for their custody anymore?” asked Zachary as he stared at her with a raised brow.
“No,” replied Charlotte. She tilted her gaze down to try to keep herself as calm as possible when she added, “I no longer have what it takes to keep them safe.”
Charlotte suddenly felt like a failure. She had been fighting against Zachary for years, but in the end, she still lost.
It felt as if he would always be better than her.
“Okay, at least you know when to back away,” said Zachary. He didn’t say anything else before he turned around to board the plane. As he did so, he instructed, “Bruce, take them back to the country.”
“Understood,” replied Bruce as he stepped forward to offer Charlotte some comfort by saying, “Ms. Lindberg, this private jet is for you. If you truly do not wish to return to H City, you can go to its neighboring city. However, you cannot stay overseas because that would put you in danger.”
“Okay, then we’ll go to Yaleview,” said Charlotte before she turned around and led her people to board the plane.
“Alright,” said Bruce, who went to get everything ready immediately. He also led some men and boarded the plane with Charlotte and the others. Bruce’s mission was to make sure that everyone arrive safely at their destination.
Before Zachary entered the cabin, he turned around to take another look at Charlotte. She did the same. Their eyes met, and they could tell that there were thousands of words they wanted to say to each other.
In the end, they chose to keep those words to themselves.
When two hearts were connected the way theirs were, there were many things that didn’t need to be verbalized.
Two private jets took off and went to the same country, but one headed for H City while the other traveled to Yaleview.
Charlotte sat by the window and stared in a daze as Pillere slowly left her line of sight.
She wondered, When did Zachary set everything up? And how did he learn about my location and situation?
“Ms. Lindberg, I’d like to talk to you,” said Gordon softly after walking over.
“Have a sit,” replied Charlotte while gesturing to the seat opposite to her.
“I am so sorry that I am unable to rescue you this time,” apologized Gordon sincerely, “I even got ambushed on my way over and almost couldn’t make it to the airport in time. The consequences would’ve been dire if the Nacht family hadn’t been around to help us out.”
“It’s not your fault. Danrique had too many enemies, and you kept the kids safe despite the situation. That, by itself, is an amazing accomplishment,” said Charlotte softly to comfort him.
“It should be safe once we cross the borders, and I…”
Gordon hesitated but eventually mustered enough courage to request, “I want to go back to Erihal and look for Mr. Lindberg. He trained men like me in person, and he’s the reason we managed to survive. We can’t sit idly by now that something so terrible has happened to him, and he has…”
Gordon was sorrowful when he reached that part of the sentence. Danrique’s death was the worst news to men like Gordon.
They practically worshipped Danrique and worked for him with their entire being. Hence, they felt lost upon hearing about his death.
“I was going to order you to do the same thing,” said Charlotte firmly, “I have the strangest feeling, and I think he is still alive. That being said, I don’t know why news of his death is being shared everywhere, so it’s good if you return to Erihal and check things out. Be careful when you investigate the matter, though.”
“Understood,” replied Gordon before he nodded and said, “I will leave four men here to protect the kids and will take three to Erihal.”
“There is no need for that,” ordered Charlotte firmly, “Take all your men over. I have eighteen bodyguards with me, so I’m certain we can keep three children safe.”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1277
No Turning Back
“But…”
“No buts. It’s decided,” insisted Charlotte to cut Gordon’s words short. After that, she instructed, “Once we land, you will take all seven of your men back to Erihal. Call me as soon as you learn anything.”
“I’ll leave after I helped settle you and the kids down. You gave up custody of your kids just to protect Mr. Lindberg’s children, so I can’t ignore your wellbeing,” offered Gordon who was still worried.
“I am not that nice,” replied Charlotte while grinning, “It’s just that given the current situation, my kids are safer with Zachary than they are with me. Hence, I am also doing all this for their sake.”
“But if it hasn’t been for us, you could’ve gone back to the Nacht family. It would be safer for you, and you’d get to reunite with your kids.”
Gordon could see things clearly. The truth was that Charlotte was sacrificing herself to protect all three of Danrique’s children. In a way, history was repeating itself. Charlotte was protecting the kids, just as her mother had protected Danrique all those years ago.
“Oh, stop being dilly-dallying already and man up,” said Charlotte. She changed the topic and ordered, “The sun is rising. You should go rest up now. We have a busy day ahead after we landed.”
“Okay,” said Gordon. He stood up and bowed politely to Charlotte before returning to his seat.
Charlotte looked out the window and stared at the clouds. A complex emotion gnawed at her. Who would’ve thought that after all the twists and turns, I’d return to where it all began?
“Don’t worry, Ms. Lindberg. The trouble will pass, and you are no longer the person you used to be. We can rise back up to the top once this is all over,” said Lupine while serving Charlotte a cup of warm tea.
“Rise back up to the top?” murmured Charlotte before an exasperated and bitter smile crept up on her lips, “That’s true. The assets and resources Danrique left me would allow me to rise back to the top, but…”
Charlotte tilted her head down and stared at the cup of warm tea she had with her. In a voice thick with tears, she added, “I’d rather give it all up just to have Danrique back.”
In the past, all Charlotte ever felt for Danrique were respect, fear, and appreciation. There was no love whatsoever.
That was why all she could think about was his cruelty and his ambition when she first got reunited with her kids. Charlotte was certain that Danrique couldn’t understand the love between a parent and a child.
That was why she was ready to leave the Lindberg family when Danrique asked her about the kids. She assumed that he would never accept them and might even hurt them.
As time passed, she learned that underneath his cruel exterior was a heart that beat with more honor and love than anyone.
His cruelty was only directed at those he deemed an outsider.
Danrique was the kind of man who would sacrifice his life to protect the people he saw as his family.
When it came to the people he cared about, Danrique would reprimand mercilessly but do the most heartwarming gestures.
Charlotte, however, took too long and had to go through so much to understand how much he cared.
“Mr. Lindberg is fine. I believe that he is still alive. He has to be,” said Lupine as her eyes reddened with tears.
“Yes, I think so too. That is why we only need to be patient and wait for him to return,” agreed Charlotte. She took a deep breath to calm herself down.
“Yeah,” said Lupine while nodding. Then, she added, “But, Ms. Lindberg, are you really not going back to the Nacht residence? Aren’t you worried about how Robbie, Jamie, and Ellie would feel?”
“Yaleview is right next to H City, so I can visit them often. I just hope they won’t hate me for this,” replied Charlotte. Thinking about her kids inevitably stung her heart.
“Why not just stay in H City?” asked Lupine curiously, “Won’t it be great to live closer together? That way, all six kids can hang out and play together all the time.”
“Things will never be the same again, so we should just keep our distance,” answered Charlotte as she grinned bitterly, “It doesn’t matter how Lindberg Corporation’s future is. The fact is that I can never go back to the Nacht family. Besides, before Danrique left, he repeatedly warned me against ever reaching out to Zachary again.”
“Okay. The two families have been at odds for generations, so I guess it makes sense that all that bad blood won’t go away that easily,” said Lupine while nodding in exasperation.
“At odds…” muttered Charlotte. Her expression took a sharp change when she blurted, “Could it be…? Does the Nacht family have anything to do with Danrique’s disappearance?”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1278
Be Brave
“I don’t think so?” replied Lupine in an uncertain voice. She checked her surroundings and noted that Bruce and the others were sitting quite some distance away. They probably didn’t overhear us, thought Lupine. She got closer hurriedly before whispering, “Mr. Lindberg was mainly dealing with issues within the company, so Mr. Nacht is probably innocent in this.”
“I hope that is true,” murmured Charlotte while frowning, “We were only able to leave in one piece thanks to Zachary, and Ben even helped Gordon out. No matter how I see it, I truly owe him a favor.”
“That’s right,” said Lupine while nodding.
“There is no evidence that points to anything as of now, so we shouldn’t put the blame on him. Let’s not talk about this again,” instructed Charlotte, who also reprimanded herself for being overly sensitive and suspicious.
“Understood,” replied Lupine. She was a little worried because she genuinely hoped that Charlotte and Zachary could get back together. If that is impossible, then I wish that they can at least interact peacefully with one another.
Those thoughts were why Lupine prayed that their guesses were wrong and that Zachary was innocent.
“Go rest up,” suggested Charlotte while resting her head on her hand, “We won’t be able to rest once the triplets wake up.”
“I’m fine. You should really take a nap, though,” replied Lupine before she lowered the backrest and helped Charlotte lie down. The former handed the latter a blanket before adding, “Rest well and don’t overthink things.”
Charlotte closed her eyes, but she simply couldn’t sleep. All she could think about was how Danrique could’ve already passed away.
Maybe it was because she was too tired, but she eventually fell asleep, only to be haunted by her nightmares. She dreamed about how Danrique’s yacht exploded and how everything was in a wreck.
That nightmare scared Charlotte awake. Her eyes were filled with horror when they flung open, and her mind kept replaying the scenes from her nightmare. A nerve-wracking ache tore through her heart.
She placed her palm on her heart and kept trying to calm herself down. It’s fine. Danrique is fine. He must be…
Charlotte turned around and saw that everyone else was asleep.
They still had to travel a few more hours in the air, but she couldn’t sleep anymore, so she lay on her side and stared blankly out the window.
She thought about her father and how he never told her anything about the Lindberg family, even though he was being framed and hurt. All he ever wanted was for her to lead a peaceful life. Dad knew just how much turmoil we’d have to go through if we ever return to the Lindberg family.
Richard had already learned about Danrique’s cruelty at the time.
The former thought that the latter would surely help Charlotte out if she was ever in trouble because Danrique owed Isabella. However, Charlotte would have to go through a lot of hardship if she stayed with the Lindberg family.
That was why he repeatedly warned Charlotte that her life would change drastically if she ever called that number.
He even reminded her that she must never make the call unless it was a life or death situation.
Charlotte didn’t understand what her father was worried about at the time, but after everything that had happened… I finally know what he meant. The life of the wealthy came with a lot of drama and trouble.
That was especially true if one was a member of incredibly powerful families like the Nachts and the Lindbergs. No one could ever anticipate the kind of danger that was waiting right around the corner.
Even Isabella, who had grown up within the family, couldn’t defend herself against the internal turmoil and was murdered.
That was why Richard had kept Charlotte’s identity a secret. He kept everything hidden until he was on his deathbed. At the time, he knew that his death would leave Charlotte vulnerable, and that was why he gave her the phone number to dial as a last resort.
Richard would never have imagined that Danrique wasn’t as evil as rumored. Instead, the latter was especially kind to his family.
That was why Charlotte had the best protection and training in the past two years.
Danrique was so kind that he planned ahead for Charlotte, even when he was in danger himself. He made sure that Charlotte would have a plentiful life, should he ever meet an untimely death.
Those memories and thoughts got Charlotte to sigh deeply. She was truly appreciative. I had my dad, Mrs. Berry, and Danrique protecting me my entire life. They are the reasons I am able to sit here in one piece.
The sad part, however, was that the people she loved were fading away one by one. Charlotte promised herself mentally, I must become stronger and more resilient and must start my new life on my own!
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1279
The World Can Be Yellow
The private jet landed at Yaleview’s airport. Charlotte held the kids’ hands as they got off the plane. A sense of loneliness engulfed Charlotte as she took in the familiar yet heartbreaking view of the city.
Years ago, her father took her to that city when he was still alive. She was only a teenager at the time.
Her dad was busy starting his business, so Mrs. Berry had been the one who kept her company in a villa located outside the suburbs.
A couple of trees were planted at the side of the villa’s entrance, and their leaves would turn the floor into a warm, beautiful orange when autumn and winter came around.
Like H City, Yaleview also had an ideal climate and its temperature never fell below zero degrees, not even during winter. That was why the leaves remained sitting on the tree branches during winter and why the scenery was stunning.
However, the city didn’t feel like home without her father or Mrs. Berry around. If anything, it made Charlotte feel especially lonely.
“Aunt Charlotte, where are we?”
Alpha was crouching. She picked up a fallen leaf and narrowed her eyes while holding the leaf toward the sun and examining it. She looked extremely cute and innocent as she did so.
“We’re in Yaleview,” answered Charlotte with a smile, “In a way, this is my second home.”
“It’s so pretty here,” commented Beta as she scanned around and stared curiously, “I used to think that the entire world is white, but I later learned that it can be green and purple as well. I’ve only just learned that the Earth can be yellow too!”
“Haha.”
Charlotte laughed. She crouched down to stroke Beta’s tiny head after that.
Kids had always been innocent. They used to live in Xendale where it was always winter, so they thought that it was white everywhere.
Later, they went to Arkfield and saw the farm, the fields, and the purple grapes, so they assumed that the rest of the world could only be white, green, and/or purple.
That was the first time they went to Yaleview, and seeing the leaves on the ground got them to understand that the Earth could also be yellow.
They were only two and a half years old, so the world seemed simple from their point of view.
“Aunt Charlotte, when will we meet up with our parents and our cousins?”
Gamma was the most mature among them and was the one who had the most desires.
“Gamma, your parents are busy, so I will take care of you for now, okay? As for your cousins… I’ll take you to them sometime later,” promised Charlotte sweetly as she stroked Gamma’s arms.
“Okay,” murmured Gamma sadly. She had her head down and was caressing her tiny hand as she pouted and complained, “Adults are always like this. They like to claim that they are busy and often postpone things…”
Charlotte didn’t know what to say in response to that. She had assumed that they were just kids and didn’t understand much, but they turned out to be smarter than she thought.
“Ms. Lindberg,” called out Gordon at that moment.
Charlotte had Lupine babysit the kids before she followed Gordon to the side and asked, “Is everything done?”
“Yes,” replied Gordon in a low voice, “I plan on taking the commercial flight back to Erihal, so as to not draw any attention. I’ll get in touch with Sean once I reach the place and will report back to you as soon as I learn anything.”
“Good. Take care,” replied Charlotte while tapping his shoulder.
“Then we shall leave now. Please take care of the kids.”
Gordon bowed to Charlotte after he said his piece.
The seven other bodyguards bowed to Charlotte as well to show their respect.
“Be careful and take care of yourself.”
Charlotte was pleased to see the way everyone acted. The rest of the world regarded Danrique as a cruel dictator, but his subordinates were loyal and would lay their lives down for him.
That proved that he was kind and sincere to his own men.
“Thank you, Ms. Lindberg.”
Gordon turned to the triplets and stroked all of their tiny heads before informing, “Kids, I have to leave for a while. You girls be good and listen to your Aunt Charlotte, okay?”
“Where are you going?” asked Beta curiously.
“Uncle Gordon, are you going to Daddy?” asked Alpha. Her big, round eyes glowed with anticipation as she stared at him and requested, “Can you help me hand this to him?”
Alpha handed the leaf she picked up earlier to Gordon.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1280
Chapter 1280 Back To The Same Old Place
“And take mine to him too!”
Gamma picked up a leaf and folded it into a beautiful butterfly before handing it over.
“And this one’s from me,” said Beta as she handed a leaf to Gordon, “You must keep it safe and are not allowed to lose it, okay?”
“These leaves are so pretty, and they’re orange like the sun is. We want daddy to have the sunlight here. That way, he will never be cold,” shared Alpha innocently as she tilted her head up.
Charlotte’s heart was touched when she heard that. I pray to the heaven above. Please let Danrique receive the kids’ blessing and return safely.
“Thank you,” replied Gordon as he kept all three leaves safely tucked away, “Don’t worry. I will surely bring the sunlight over to Mr. Lindberg.”
“Yay, that’s amazing!” cheered all three children.
“Alright, I have to go now. Be good!”
Gordon stroke their heads again before he left reluctantly.
All seven other subordinates waved goodbye to them.
“Bye-bye,” said the kids while waving their tiny hands.
Charlotte watched as Gordon and the others left. A complex feeling rose in her heart.
“Ms. Lindberg, we don’t have any contacts here in Yaleview, so we can’t get everything ready beforehand. I’ve already booked rooms in the best hotel here. We can stay there for a few days while I look for a villa. After that, we can…”
“I’ve already gotten everything ready,” interrupted Bruce as he approached and added, “I called ahead and had our people get a villa ready. Every necessity is there, and everyone can move in right away.”
As Bruce spoke, a Rolls-Royce pulled up.
“Mr. Nacht had me prep this car for you,” added Bruce as he handed the keys to Morgan, “You can use it however you please.”
“But…” muttered Morgan before she turned to Charlotte.
“It’s best if we keep a low profile now,” replied Charlotte, “So we won’t be accepting such a luxurious car.”
“But…”
“We’ll keep the villa, though. Please thank Zachary on my behalf, but I’ll have to turn the car down,” informed Charlotte before she instructed, “Morgan, take a few of our people over and go buy some cars. Remember to keep a low profile.”
“Understood,” replied Morgan. She rushed to work on the matter right away.
“I’ll go with you,” offered Marino quickly to earn some brownie points.
“Then please allow me to drive everyone to the villa,” suggested Bruce as he opened the door, “This way, Ms. Lindberg.”
“Thank you,” said Charlotte. She got the kids into the car after that.
Yaleview was quieter when compared against H City. Not a single car was in sight when the evening rolled by.
It took them about thirty minutes before they reached the region where the villa was located.
The place had a lot of greenery, and the environment was serene. The villas in the region all had a modern design. They weren’t as luxurious or as big as the villa in H City, but they were still rather regal.
Bruce drove to the innermost part of the region before it was parked at the side of a white villa.
Charlotte couldn’t help being stunned when she saw that villa. I-isn’t this the villa my dad bought all those years ago?
After dad got into trouble, Simon stole the factories in Yaleview and this villa. A lot had happened after that, and the Whites eventually ran out of money, so they sold this villa, too.
“Let’s take a look inside.”
Charlotte got the kids out of the cars and scanned the surroundings. The tree she planted was still standing beside the entrance, and the flowers that Mrs. Berry planted were growing well, too. Some other flowers had withered and the water fountain stopped working, though…
“It was a last-minute decision to come here, so we didn’t have the time to fix everything,” informed Bruce.
“It’s fine. I needed something to work on, anyway.”
Charlotte pushed the door open and entered the place. Everything inside the house was still as it was. The photos she took with her father and Mrs. Berry rested quietly on the piano, on the walls…
She was only a teen at the time, and she looked youthful.
Seeing those photos make her feel like she had returned to the beautiful past where the people she loved were still with her. That was a time when her life was full of joy and laughter.
Charlotte picked up the photo frame. She couldn’t help getting a little teary.