Ch. 1321..1330

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1321

Before Zachary could pick her up, Charlotte stopped him. “I can go to the hospital myself. You don’t have to come with me, Mr. Nacht,” she said coolly.

“Can you stop putting on an act?” Zachary snarled, his teeth gritted angrily.

“You—”

“Shut up!” Zachary didn’t give her a chance to speak as he picked her up and stalked out.

“Zachary Nacht, let me down this instant!” Charlotte hissed. “Let me down!”

Ignoring her cries, Zachary brought her to his car. He was about to get in after her when Ben reminded him, “Er, Ms. Gold is still here.”

It was only then that Zachary remembered Nancy’s existence. He turned at his shoulder and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, but I have to go to the hospital now.”

“It’s fine. I understand.” Nancy flashed a smile. She urged, “You should hurry and send Ms. Lindberg to the hospital. We can meet up another time.”

“Mm,” Zachary grunted in response. He told Ben, “Give Ms. Gold a ride home.”

“Yes.”

Lupine drove the car to the hospital, and Raina occupied the passenger seat.

By then, Charlotte was already shaking like a leaf. Her face was as pale as a sheet, but she forced herself to stay quiet by biting down hard on her lip.

The dagger was extremely sharp. If she had held it any tighter, her right palm would’ve been sliced off.

A fresh swell of rage rose in Zachary at the sight of her trembling figure. “Are you a fool? Why did you grab the dagger with your bare hand? Do you think I’m not his match? Even if he tried to attack me, I could’ve pinned him down easily. There was no need to act foolishly.”

“Don’t overthink. I wasn’t trying to protect you,” retorted Charlotte in a disdainful tone. “I don’t want this to escalate into a fight. If I don’t stop him, and one of you gets hurt, the consequences will be horrible.”

“You…” Zachary trailed off, speechless. He couldn’t bring himself to blame her, for she was already wounded.

Soon, they arrived at the hospital. Raina promptly got to work on Charlotte’s wound as Lupine and Zachary stood aside silently. Ben and his men showed up later on.

Finally, when the clock ticked past nine at night, Charlotte’s wound was stitched up neatly. Raina prescribed some oral medicine and ointment before reminding Lupine to take good care of her. She also offered to pay a visit a few days later to check on Charlotte’s wound and change the dressing.

Arrangements were made, but Zachary wasn’t satisfied. “What if your wound gets in contact with water? What if it gets infected? Raina, bring a few nurses with you and stay with her until she recovers completely.”

“But I have an important surgery tomorrow,” Raina replied, torn. “And Dr. Wright is arriving a few days later.”

“Won’t you listen to my order?” Zachary frowned.

“Well…” Raina caved in. “All right. I’ll make the arrangements now.”

“No need,” Charlotte interjected. “It’s just a superficial wound. You don’t have to trouble her.”

“Charlotte—”

“Thank you for your help, Raina. You can leave now,” Charlotte told Raina.

Raina shot a timid glance at Zachary, her feet rooted to the spot.

“You may leave now.” She only made to leave when Zachary made the order.

On the way back home, Charlotte leaned into the seat weakly with her eye shut.

Zachary’s expression was grim. A heavy silence hung in the air.

Both Ben and Lupine dared not utter a word.

Ring, ring!

Right then, Charlotte’s phone rang.

She tried to use her left hand to take the phone in her right pocket, but it proved to be a difficult mission.

Furrowing his brows, Zachary took her phone out and glanced at the screen. It was a call from Robbie, so he answered it promptly. “Robbie!”

“Daddy?” Robbie was shocked to hear his voice. “Are you with Mommy right now?”

“Yes. Mommy’s right beside me.” Zachary turned on the loudspeaker.

“What’s wrong, Robbie?” asked Charlotte.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1322

“Mommy, when are you going to come back?” came Ellie’s voice from the other end of the line.

Then, the three other younger children began butting in. “Aunt Charlotte, Aunt Charlotte, come back quickly to tell us bedtime stories!”

“All right. Aunt Charlotte will be back soon. I’m on my way,” Charlotte coaxed gently. “Shower first, okay? Then you can wait for me to come back to tell you stories.”

“Okey-dokey!” the three children sang in unison.

“Mommy, are you with Daddy?” Even Jamie had come over to ask. “Will you be coming back together? Could you ask Daddy if he can bring my Transformers over?”

“We won’t—”

“Of course,” Zachary interrupted. “We’ll be there in half an hour. I’ll bring your Transformers over.”

“Okay, thanks, Daddy!” Jamie cheered.

“My laptop too, Daddy,” Robbie reminded. “I’ve forgotten about it this afternoon because I was in a rush.”

“Got it,” Zachary said to the children. Unbeknownst to him, the look on his face had softened. “Shower first. Daddy will be there soon.”

“Okay. Bye, Daddy.”

“Daddy, Mommy, we’ll be waiting for you.”

“All right.”

After the call ended, the gentle smiles remained on their faces until they looked at each other. Almost immediately, their expressions turned solemn.

“Who told you to say yes to them? I didn’t agree to let you come to my house,” Charlotte hissed out.

“Then are you planning to walk back?” Zachary retorted.

“I…” It was then Charlotte recalled that she was not driving; She and Lupine were riding Zachary’s car.

“So what?” Charlotte then turned to Lupine and instructed, “Call Morgan and tell her to pick us up.”

“Understood,” Lupine answered as she took out her phone.

“Do you really have to do this?” Zachary frowned. “Firstly, this will waste your time. Secondly, it’ll affect the children’s moods. Moreover, your hand’s hurt. You can’t even hold a book, so do tell me how you’re going read them bedtime stories.”

Charlotte realized that he was right. When Zachary heard nothing else from her, he instructed Ben, “Get someone to send Robbie and Jamie’s stuff over.”

“Yes, Sir.” Ben chanced a glance at Lupine before making a call.

Charlotte did not stop him, thinking, I guess it’ll be good to have the kids be happy for a night. Zachary’s only doing this for the kids. All we need to do is to make sure we keep a distance from each other.

Soon, they reached Northridge. By then, the Nacht family’s bodyguard had brought Robbie and Jamie’s stuff over.

After Zachary stepped out of the car, he turned around to help Charlotte out.

Nevertheless, Charlotte rejected his offer. He rolled his eyes at her before walking straight toward the house.

“Daddy!”

Jamie and Ellie were waiting in the living room. When they saw Zachary and Charlotte entering the house, they ran toward them.

The two were exceptionally excited, a stark contrast against Robbie, who seemed calm. In fact, Robbie seemed to be quietly studying Zachary.

“Mommy!” Ellie beamed at Zachary before launching herself into Charlotte’s arm. However, Zachary swiftly pulled her toward him. “Mommy’s hurt, so Daddy’s going to be the one to read you your bedtime stories tonight. Don’t disturb Mommy, okay?”

The three children quickly huddled over to anxiously ask, “What? What happened to Mommy?”

“Mommy’s fine. It’s just a scratch,” Charlotte reassured them. “Don’t worry. It’s all right.”

“Ah! Mommy’s hand is hurt!” Ellie shrieked when she saw Charlotte’s bandaged hand, her face white as sheet.

“Let me see!” Robbie and Jamie then took Charlotte’s hand and carefully checked it. “What happened?”

“Your mommy was really brave. She was the damsel who saved the hero, and that’s why she’s hurt,” Zachary joked.

“Was that hero you, Daddy?” Jamie asked curiously, his head tilting upward to look at him.

“That’s right. It’s me.” He nodded.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1323

“Daddy, you’re bad!” Ellie complained as she pouted. “You’re a man. You should be protecting Mommy. How could you let Mommy protect you instead?”

“Ellie’s right,” Jamie agreed.

“I want to protect her too, but your mommy was adamant about playing the hero. Before I could do anything, she had rushed headlong into the situation.”

At that, Zachary cast a disapproving look at Charlotte.

“You—” Charlotte was furious. She did not know why he was telling the children that.

“Mommy, don’t play the hero next time. You have to protect yourself first and foremost,” Robbie said to her. “It pained us to see you hurt.”

“Yes, yes.” Ellie then grabbed Charlotte’s hand and gently blew on it. “Mommy, the bandages are wrapped around your hand tightly, so I’m sure it must hurt a lot.”

“It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt,” Charlotte answered lightheartedly. Seeing her children had lifted her spirits.

“Mommy, who’s the one who hurt you?” I’ll beat them up for you,” Jamie exclaimed as he swung his little fists. “I’m going to teach the naughty person a lesson.”

“It’s okay. We’ve dealt with the person.” Charlotte pinched his cheek. “Okay, it’s time to go back to your room. It’s late now.”

“Yes, go back to your rooms. I’ll read you the bedtime stories,” Zachary chimed in.

“Daddy, are you not going to leave tonight?” Jamie asked, excited, as he held Zachary’s hand. “Are you going to be staying here tonight?”

Even Robbie and Ellie were looking at him.

“I’ll leave after reading the stories to you.” Zachary ruffled their hair. “Hurry upstairs now.”

“All right,” the children replied, crestfallen.

“Aunt Charlotte! Aunt Charlotte!”

Just then, Danrique’s children rushed out of their room with bottles in their hands and diapers around their waists.

When they spotted Zachary, they skidded to a stop before watching him with wary eyes.

“Why is this Angry Uncle here?”

Alpha then quickly hid her bottle behind her as if Zachary was there to snatch that from her.

“Maybe he’s here to see Robbie, Jamie, and Ellie,” Beta quietly replied. “He’s their daddy.”

“Hmph!” Gamma then stepped forward and pointed her bottle at Zachary. “Meanie, why are you here?”

“Alpha, Beta, Gamma, don’t be rude to my daddy.”

Ellie stepped out from behind Zachary’s legs before solemnly replying, “Daddy’s here to tell us bedtime stories.”

“What?” The other three children widened their eyes. “This fierce meanie is going to tell us bedtime stories? Really?”

“Duh!” Jamie grinned smugly. “My daddy tells great stories.”

Alpha sniffled before answering dumbly, “Oh. So is he going to tell us stories too?”

“Can we listen to your stories?” Beta tilted her head back to look at the tall man.

“I-I want to hear stories too.” Gamma’s face was red. and her hands were clenched into fists as she nervously looked at Zachary.

“All right, come on.” Zachary then motioned to them to go up the stairs.

“Yay!”

The three smaller children hurried behind Ellie their bottles. Like a line of kindergarten children, they entered the room.

In the meantime, Charlotte smiled when she saw the scene.

Zachary was rather skilled at taking care of the children; he was even getting along well with the three more difficult children.

“Ms. Lindberg, let me help you back to your room.” Once they were back in the room, Lupine said, “You haven’t had a good dinner, so I’ll get the kitchen staff to make something for you.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m not hungry.” Charlotte tiredly leaned back on the sofa. “Pour me a glass of water instead. Then you can leave. It’s been a tiring day, so you should rest earlier.”

“What about yo—”

“I’m fine by myself.” Charlotte wanted some time alone.

“All right.” Lupine then poured her a glass of water. After putting it beside her, she left.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1324

Charlotte stared at numerous missed calls and messages on her phone, all of them from Louis.

Without needing to look at the messages, she knew what they were about. Apologies, then expressions of his love. He would ask for her forgiveness before telling her of his wish to start over with her.

Charlotte was in a world of frustration. She did not know what she could do to make Louis give up. It felt like he refused to listen to whatever she said to him as long as it was not the answer he wanted.

Right as she was lost in her train of thoughts, someone called. The number seemed familiar, but she did not have it in her contacts. After a moment of hesitation, she picked it up. “Hello?”

“Hello, Ms. Lindberg, I’m Nancy Gold.”

Nancy’s voice was always as soft as cotton. It was as if she was someone who did not have a temper nor ever experienced negative emotions; it was as if her control over her emotions was impeccable.

“Hello,” Charlotte greeted back, uncomfortable to hear that name.

“I just wanted to ask how you’re feeling today,” Nancy uttered. “There were many people at the restaurant today, so I didn’t get a chance to ask you that.”

“It’s nothing serious,” Charlotte replied politely. “Thank you for your concern.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Rest well, then,” Nancy said before ending the call.

Charlotte did not know why she had made that call. What can she possibly do with a few polite questions? Is she trying to remind me about her existence?

Maybe that’s that.

After the call, Charlotte had indeed been reminded that Zachary was dating Nancy and that she should be more firm in keeping her distance away from Zachary.

In other words, Nancy was asserting dominance.

At that thought, the discomfort in Charlotte’s heart grew. She rose to her feet, planning to look for Zachary to get him to leave earlier.

“The little prince climbed onto the top of the snowy mountain to look for the legendary Angel’s Flower. As long as he finds the flower, he’ll be able to save his beloved princess. Although it was cold here, and there were many beasts around, he was still brave as ever. The little prince knows that his princess is waiting for him back at the castle.”

Zachary was sitting on a chair, telling the children a fantasy tale with his magnetic voice.

Meanwhile, the six children were sitting in odd poses—some were sprawling and lying down—as they listened to his storytelling intently.

A while into the story, Ellie cocked her head to the side and said, “Daddy, this isn’t right. I’d read this book before, and I remember that the little prince goes to the moon and not a snowy mountain.”

“That’s right. The little prince isn’t looking for Angel’s Flower, but a sapphire. Also, the little prince doesn’t have a princess…”

“Just listen to the story. Why do you have so many questions?” Robbie chided them as he cut them off. “It’s more original if Daddy changes it up a little.”

“Oh.” Both Jamie and Ellie lowered their heads before falling silent.

“That’s right, that’s right. Go on, Angry Uncle!”

Alpha, Beta, and Gamma were all fascinated by the story as they stared at Zachary with wide, eager eyes.

“What did you call me earlier, hmm?” Zachary furrowed his brows in a mock solemn look.

“Oh.” Alpha, Beta, and Gamma shared a look before answering in unison, “Uncle Zachary!”

“That’s right. Good girls.” Zachary smiled in satisfaction. “All right, it’s late now. It’s bedtime.”

“No! Finish the story,” the three girls whined.

They were no longer afraid of him, and they even dared to whine to him now.

“Yes, Daddy, finish the story,” Ellie muttered as she rested her chin on her hands. “I’ve never heard of this story. I’d like to know what’s the ending.”

“Yes, yes. Did the little prince find the flower in the end?” Jamie asked.

“We’ll continue another day.” Zachary put the book down as he turned off the table lamp. “All right. Sleep now.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1325

“Okay…” The children were disappointed, but they obediently went to bed.

Zachary stood up and walked out of the room. However, he only took two steps before knocking into the corner of the table.

Thump! The loud noise startled the children.

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. It’s just too dark in here,” he reassured them as Ben darted over to support Zachary.

Charlotte was at the doorway, and when she saw the scene, a strange feeling washed over her.

She abruptly felt that there was something odd about Zachary.

Zachary had undergone strict training since he was a child; he possessed superior physique and senses than the average person. Even if the entire room was dark—the room was still lit with a dim wall lamp—he should be able to walk around without crashing into anything.

Moreover, she realized he seemed to have been careful on his way to the outside of the room.

Furthermore, Ben seemed excessively nervous.

“Daddy.” Robbie ran out for Zachary, but he spotted Charlotte by the doorway. “Mommy!”

The moment Ben realized Charlotte was standing there, panic flickered past his eyes. Nevertheless, he recomposed himself quickly and smiled at her. “Ms. Lindberg, you’re here. Mr. Nacht has been sitting on that tiny chair for too long, so his legs had pins and needles.”

“The children’s chair is indeed a little too short for him,” Charlotte nonchalantly agreed with him as she glanced at Zachary’s legs. “It must have been a hard time for his long legs.”

“Good to know that you know,” Zachary snapped.

“Mommy, Daddy he…”

“Robbie, go back to your room with Jamie and sleep,” Charlotte interrupted softly. “I’ll send your daddy back.”

Robbie opened his mouth, but in the end, he swallowed the words that were at the tip of his tongue. Instead, he said, “Daddy hasn’t had a drink after telling us such a long story. Mommy, why don’t you offer him a drink before he leaves?”

“My son’s a sensible boy.” Zachary smiled happily. “However, it’s late now, and I should be going back. Rest earlier, all of you.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s better if you have a drink before you leave,” Charlotte promptly said. “Otherwise, the boy might think that I’m torturing you.”

“Very nice of you.” Zachary grinned before leaning toward her. “Shall we drink in your room?”

“Sure,” came her swift response. “Emma, prep the tea.”

“Understood.”

Zachary froze. He thought that Charlotte was sure to reject him if he were to tease her. To his surprise, her agreement had come quick.

Ben anxiously peeked at Zachary, thinking, What now?

In the middle of the story earlier, Zachary’s vision had abruptly gone blurry. He could not read the words in the book, so that was why he had come up with his own version of the story.

Ben watched them both at the side, his heart racing. However, with Robbie’s cooperation, Zachary managed to keep up with the act.

Then, he tried to look for an excuse to leave. However, due to his blurry sight, when he stood to leave, he knocked onto the corner of the table again. Ben quickly grabbed him.

They wanted to leave as soon as possible. That way, he would not be found out. Yet, they had encountered Charlotte.

“Since you’re so enthusiastic about it, then I won’t resist.”

Unlike Ben, Zachary was calm and steady as if there was nothing wrong with him.

“This way.” Charlotte brought Zachary back to her room before casually saying to Ben, “I think Lupine’s caught a mild cold. Why don’t you have a look at her?”

“No, no, I shouldn’t. She…” Ben was about to reject her when Zachary secretly gestured at him. “I don’t know if she’ll chase me out of this place.”

“How would you know unless you’ve gone there?” Charlotte teased. “Men should take a more active role.”

“Well, she’s quite ferocious.” Ben scratched his head, embarrassed.

“This way please, Mr. Nacht.”

Charlotte opened the door to her room as she motioned to him.

Zachary ambled in.

The entire time, Charlotte was keeping her eye on him. He seems fine now. Was I overthinking things?

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1326

Once they were in the room, Zachary headed straight to the sofa. Everything seemed fine.

However, he had been averting his eyes from Charlotte.

On the other hand, Charlotte was staring at him. At the start, she was stealing glances at him, but now, she was straight-up staring at him. It was because she realized that he was unresponsive even when she had her gaze on him.

The anxiety in her head thrummed, and she creased her forehead as she observed him.

Is there something wrong with his eyes?

Knock knock! Right then, knocking sounds came from the door.

“Come in,” Charlotte said.

Emma came in with a dining cart. After putting the snacks on the coffee table, she bowed at the two of them and stepped out of the room.

Charlotte poured a cup of tea and handed it to Zachary. “Have some tea.”

“Put it on the table first. It’s hot.” Zachary raised his arm to pinched the bridge of his nose, looking exhausted.

Hence, Charlotte put the cup down in front of him. However, to test him, she intentionally put it at the edge of the table where half the cup was in midair. With any gentle push, the cup would fall.

Indeed, when Zachary reached out for the cup, he knocked it over.

The cup of hot tea splashed all over his pants, and that included his crotch area.

“Sh*t!” Zachary roared. “You wicked woman!”

“You were the careless one, but you’re blaming me for this?” Charlotte quickly took out a few tissues to hand them to him. Glancing at his crotch, she anxiously asked, “Are you okay? Do you need to go to a hospital?”

“You did this on purpose!”

Zachary grabbed her hand and tugged her toward him.

“Ah!” Charlotte cried out, having not expected the sudden action from him as she fell into his arms. Before she could come back to her senses, he had smashed his lips against hers.

His kiss was intense and wild. It was as if he was taking revenge on her, or perhaps he was punishing her.

He ravished every part of her mouth that was beyond her teeth. He stole every breath she took and made her heave for more.

Charlotte’s mind went blank from his unexpected kiss.

All of a sudden, it felt like they had gone back to the time when they were deeply in love. Back then, all they had for the other was devotion and adoration. Back then, no matter what they did, it felt as if the love was not enough.

Every time they were close to each other, they yearned to become one so that they would never separate.

That familiar feeling was back.

Charlotte was honest at that moment. She did not want to push him away nor did she want to reject him. Selfishly, greedily, she wanted to drown herself in that moment of warmth.

Her acceptance made the affection in Zachary for her bloom. He embraced her tighter as he continued to kiss her harder.

He was afraid that Charlotte would find out he could not see things clearly anymore. That there was something wrong with his eyes. That he was sick. That he was doomed to die soon.

He knew that she was suspicious and that she was testing him. His keen instincts could let him temporarily dismiss her suspicions, and that was why he was using this way to distract her.

Yet, this kiss was the key to unlocking the feelings that they both buried deep in the recesses of their hearts.

After what seemed like ages, Zachary reluctantly let go of Charlotte before pressing his forehead against hers. As he kissed her lips longingly, he whispered, “I still have a place in your heart.”

Charlotte did not speak. Her eyes were closed as she quietly immerse herself in the feelings that had collected dust in her heart.

Something else was growing in there; something sour with a bitter, sorrowful tang.

“You still love me, don’t you?” Zachary questioned, biting down her lower lip. “You’ve always loved me.”

“I…”

Just as she was about to answer him, her phone rang. She jumped in fright before snapping her head in the direction of her phone. It was then she saw her vibrating phone on the coffee table, its screen lit up with a name on it—Louis.

Zachary’s heart sank. In the next second, he pushed her away.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1327

Charlotte’s injured hand hit the sofa, and she sucked in an audible gasp of pain.

Zachary frowned, and there was apparently upset in his eyes, but still, his features were schooled into a cold look.

Charlotte then took her phone and ended the call.

“Be mindful of what you’re doing,” Zachary uttered. “Sir Robert came to my office to look for me earlier today. As for why they were there… I’m sure you know.”

“I do,” Charlotte replied.

The tense atmosphere had no traces of the passionate moment from a while ago.

With an acrid taste on his tongue, Zachary stood up and left.

Charlotte watched as he went. Again, she saw nothing amiss with him. Am I really overthinking it?

No. Something is amiss.

Zachary’s hand was on the handle. Right before he opened it, Charlotte yelled, “Zachary Nacht!”

Zachary halted in his tracks. He did not turn around, but his heart was thumping loudly.

Does she want to keep me here?

“Look down,” Charlotte said as she pointed at his pants. “Are you going to leave like this?”

It was only then Zachary recalled that he had spilled a cup of tea on his pants earlier. It would be an embarrassing moment if he were to walk out immediately. Thus, he called Ben to grab some new clothes for him.

“Take a shower.” Charlotte handed him a bathrobe.

After taking it from her, he went into the bathroom.

Charlotte still had attentive eyes on him. That’s strange. He seems completely fine now.

In the meantime, after Zachary closed the bathroom door, he squinted and looked at himself in the mirror.

Perhaps his optic nerve was pressed on again, for his vision had gone blurry and flickered earlier. That was why he had come up with whatever he could think of while telling the children their bedtime story earlier.

Yet, after kissing Charlotte, his vision had returned to normal. Therefore, he had not knocked into anything else after that.

Thinking about the kiss made his throat dry.

Then, when he thought about Louis, his mood turned foul.

He wanted to leave the place as soon as possible, but unfortunately, his pants were stained. Hence, he had no choice but to stay for a while longer.

He knew that Charlotte had to have sensed something odd about his behavior. Otherwise, she would not have set up a trap for him in an attempt to find out what was going on.

That woman was indeed much smarter than she used to be two years ago.

Nevertheless, she was of no match for him; her witty little tricks were nothing to him.

After a hot shower, he walked out with the bathrobe wrapped around him.

For reasons he could not think of, his vision was blurring again. All that was left was a sight of foggy white.

“Are you done?” came Charlotte’s voice.

Zachary turned to her, but he could only see her silhouette, not her face.

She hunched over to put something on the coffee table before saying to him, “I’ve asked the kitchen staff to make some oatmeal, so come and have a taste.”

Zachary could only rely on his memory as he avoided the furniture in the room before reaching the sofa.

He dared not look at her. If he did, and if she were to look closely, she would realize there was indeed something wrong with him as she had suspected.

Thus, he kept his head hung and made it seem like he was in a bad mood.

“Why do you have a sour face on?” Charlotte hissed. “You make it seem like I’ve owed you something.”

“Don’t contact Louis anymore,” he demanded.

“I’m not contacting him,” Charlotte explained. “He’s the one looking for me, and it’s not like I can stop him, can I? Moreover, you have no right to demand that from me.”

“Just be firm in your stance. You can leave the rest to me,” he blurted out. After a beat, he added, “Don’t misunderstand my words. I just don’t want the kids to be affected by this.”

“I know. No misunderstandings,” Charlotte snapped before handing him the oatmeal.”

“No, thank you.” Zachary could only hear her voice; he could not even see where her hands were, so he could only utter the first excuse he could think of, “Who knows if you’ve poisoned it or not.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1328

“You’re a lunatic,” Charlotte hissed out. “I was kind to make you food. How could you say that? Tell me then. What poison could I possibly put in there?”

“Aphrodisiac,” Zachary blurted out.

Charlotte was speechless at that.

“Look at the expression you had. Clearly, you’re lusting for more,” Zachary teased. “You were looking for tons of excuses tonight, and you brought me to your room. Then, you spilled tea on my pants. All of these are to keep me here, right? Did you think that I’m clueless?”

“You—” Charlotte’s face reddened from anger. “Do you have no shame, Zachary?”

She slammed the bowl on the coffee table before huffing out, “Forget it if you don’t want to eat it. I’ll let an ingrate like you starve to death.”

As some of the oatmeal had splashed onto her hand, she went to the bathroom to wash up.

Her fading footsteps told Zachary that she was gone. Instantly, he began searching for his phone on the sofa.

After washing her hands, Charlotte heard a quiet tone. When she lowered her head, she noticed Zachary’s phone in the clothes he had changed out of.

Picking up the phone, she then noticed that he had a message. It was from Nancy. Mr. Nacht, are you home yet…

The rest of the message was not shown. Even then, the name of the sender itself made Charlotte’s heart sink into the abyss.

“Is my phone in the bathroom?” Zachary asked. He could not see, but that meant that his hearing had become better.

“Yes,” Charlotte answered as she walked out of the bathroom with the phone. “What’s the matter with you? You’ve even left your phone in there.”

Zachary reached out for his phone, and it was then Charlotte realized his eyes seemed to be unfocused.

Her heart leaped to her throat. She then deliberately stretched out her arm in a different direction before saying, “Someone sent you a message. There, take it.”

Just as she expected, Zachary’s hands grabbed the air instead of the phone.

Shock struck Charlotte like a bolt from the blue. Her eyes widened almost impossibly as she stared at him.

He… can’t see?

Zachary stiffened when he realized he had not reached out for his phone. Nevertheless, he quickly snatched the phone from Charlotte in the next second and bellowed, “You peeked at my phone?”

“Yes, but I wasn’t peeking,” Charlotte snarled in mock anger. “I was looking openly.”

She did not want him to find out what she had just figured out.

Her angry tone made Zachary sigh quietly in relief. She’s not all that smart. I don’t think she found out anything.

Right then, someone knocked on the door. Ben’s voice then came from the outside. “Ms. Lindberg, I’ve brought Mr. Nacht’s clothes here.”

Charlotte walked over to the door and took the clothes from Ben. Then, faking a cold tone, she hissed out, “Get changed and get out.”

After taking the clothes from Charlotte, Zachary immediately undid his robe to reveal his muscular figure.

“Ah!” Charlotte shrieked before promptly spinning around. Her face was hot with a bright blush as she stammered out, “W-What are you doing?”

“It’s not like you’ve never seen it before. Why are you so scared?” Zachary teased as he slowly changed.

Although he could not see anything, he could feel the logo and the buttons of the clothes, so he managed to put on his clothes right.

Charlotte was furious, but she wanted to be certain about his eyes. Hence, she mustered up her courage and turned back to him.

By then, Zachary was done putting on his pants. He was in the middle of doing the buttons of his shirt.

He was elegant and was having no problems with them.

Furthermore, his head was hanging, so she could not see whether or not he could see clearly.

“Zachary,” Charlotte started, trying to come up with a topic so that she could have a clear look at his eyes. “Are you dating Nancy?”

“Why, are you jealous?”

Zachary grinned, but his eyes remained unfocused.

“If you really like her, then be nice to her. From now on, we’ll have to keep our distance from each other.” Charlotte stared at Zachary’s eyes before tentatively saying, “If you don’t like her, and you’re using her to annoy me, then you should stop.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1329

“Why would you think that I’m using her to annoy you?” Zachary questioned.

Charlotte’s heart sank. “So you’re dating her for real.”

“You seem disappointed,” Zachary pointed out, delighted by the despondent trace in her voice.

“What does that have to do with me?” Charlotte snarled. “You can be with whoever you want to be!”

“What if I tell you that we’re not dating?” Zachary softened his voice as he stepped closer to her. “What if I say that I never had any women other than you? Will you come back to me?”

Charlotte froze. Her heart was in turmoil when she heard those words from him.

She never thought that Zachary would say such things to her anymore; she thought he had already let go of her.

“That’s a no, then.”

Zachary waited for a long time, but he heard nothing from Charlotte. Disheartened, he turned to leave.

“Zachary,” Charlotte called out for him again.

He stopped, cocking his head to the side and waiting for her to speak.

“If you don’t like Nancy, then stop using her,” Charlotte told him in a serious tone. “Don’t be like me. Don’t make a mistake so major it’s unsalvageable.”

“What do you mean by that?” Zachary furrowed his brows. “What mistake have you made?”

“I had agreed to marry Louis due to various external factors back then.” Charlotte was overwhelmed with regret every time she thought about it. “Louis used to be so cheerful and optimistic, but now…”

“Do you mean that you agreed to marry Louis not because of love?” Zachary asked, eager. “What about later on? Did you grow any feelings for him?”

“I’ve always thought of him as my best friend.”

“But, you and him—”

Those words nearly escaped his lips.

Zachary did not wish to broach the topic, yet he could not help but think about that particular scene whenever Louis was mentioned. It was like a thorn in his heart, and it had grown roots in there.

Charlotte’s lips parted, about to explain, but at that moment, Zachary’s phone rang. She instinctively looked over and saw that it was a call from Nancy.

In an instant, she snapped back to reality. It was then she recalled that neither of them could go back to what they used to be.

Someone knocked on the door again, and Ben’s voice could be heard. “Mr. Nacht, I have news to report to you.”

Zachary did not pick up the call. Instead, he walked toward the door and opened it before heading out.

“Ms. Lindberg, we shall excuse ourselves now.”

Ben bowed at Charlotte before closing the door. Then, he held onto Zachary as they hastily left.

Meanwhile, Charlotte stood in the room alone, filled with all kinds of emotions.

She had probed him for so long, but her efforts were fruitless; she still knew not if there was something amiss with him.

Although her instincts told her that something was indeed wrong with his eyes, his behavior stated otherwise. It made Charlotte question herself and wonder if she was overthinking everything.

Furthermore, their complicated relationship only worsened her mood.

He had denied dating Nancy. She knew Zachary well. Even if he was extremely far from a flawless man, there was one good point about him—he was honest.

If they were really dating, then he would not have lied to her about it.

Maybe Nancy is courting him, she thought, and he didn’t give her any obvious rejections. That must be it.

Nevertheless, genuine feelings were bound to grow romantically between Nancy and Zachary.

Even if Zachary did not fall for her now, it did not mean that he would not do so in the future.

The very thought of that tightened her chest, and she reminded herself not to dwell on it anymore. We can’t go back to how it is. It ended a long time ago.

Be firm. Be clear with him. Stay away from him.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 1330

After Ben and Zachary stepped into the car, Ben urged the driver, “Drive now.”

“Got it.”

The moment the car sped off, Ben let out a sigh of relief. He then muttered, “Lupine was staring at us when we were going down the stairs earlier. That was frightening.”

“That’s all in you?”

Zachary was calm, for he was sure that Charlotte had not figured anything out yet; he was confident in his acting skills.

“Ms. Lindberg didn’t figure anything out, did she?” Ben asked. “She actually invited you to her room tonight. Was she suspecting that something was up? Was she trying to sound you out?”

“Why can’t she be trying to patch things up with me?” Zachary retorted.

“Um…” Ben fell silent.

“I guess she’s suspicious.” Zachary stopped messing with Ben as he resumed his solemn demeanor. “I’ll have to avoid her these few days. Tell Marino to be wary of the words that leave his mouth.”

“Understood.” Ben nodded. In a softer voice, he said, “Your phone has been ringing since earlier. I think Ms. Gold is calling you.”

“Ignore her,” Zachary said, thinking about what Charlotte had said earlier. “Nancy is a good girl. I shouldn’t be leading her on.”

Those words only made Ben even more anxious. He tentatively reassured, “Bruce is doing everything to find Francesco. I’m sure we’ll find him soon.”

“What’s coming will come, and we’ll meet it when it does. It’s inevitable.”

Zachary sighed, no longer anxious at the thought.

“Have your vision not recovered yet?” Ben asked worriedly. “Why don’t we stop by the hospital for a checkup? The episode came so suddenly, and it’s lasting quite a while.”

“I won’t die from it.” Zachary closed his eyes. “Arrange a meeting with Mr. Williams and Mr. Spencer tomorrow. Oh, and Johann too.”

“Mr. Nacht.”

“Skip the nonsense.” Zachary was tired. “Just work on it.”

“Yes, Sir,” Ben answered, not daring to say more than that. However, he had a grim look on his face.

Zachary’s current condition was far from good. He had been experiencing dizziness and blurry vision in his earlier episodes, but a while ago, he had lost his vision.

Moreover, he had not regained his vision even after an hour.

Ben did not know if any worse symptoms would rear their ugly heads after this.

Nevertheless, Zachary refused to go to the hospital, and they were unable to find Francesco. In other words, their hands were tied.

Back at home, Ben helped Zachary out of the car. Once his feet were on the ground, Zachary blinked and realized some of his vision was back. At that, he mumbled, “It’s fine once I’m home. Can’t be that the air at Northridge is toxic, right?”

“Maybe you’ve been working too hard lately. You should rest more,” Ben softly suggested. “I’ll help you in.”

“There’s no need.” Zachary pushed Ben aside. Squinting, he then slowly made his way into the house.

He had to get used to life in the darkness as quickly as possible. After all, if he were to have a full-blown episode, his vision would be first to suffer. He would then plunge into a world of darkness.

Before he was six feet under, he had to get used to that life. At the very least, he had to make sure that Charlotte did not spot anything wrong with him and that the children would not worry.

Now that some of his vision returned, he could see the vague outlines of things in front of him.

That was how Zachary made his way back into the house as he avoided the obstacles in front of him. Step by step, he entered the building, went up the stairs, and into his room.

The entire time, his subordinates quietly stood by the side, fearing that any noises they made would disrupt his judgment.

Even Ben was holding his breath as he stuck by Zachary’s side.

He only let that breath out when Zachary entered his bedroom, unscathed.

However, in the next second, Zachary’s knee crashed into the cellaret, and a loud noise echoed in the room.

“Mr. Nacht!” Ben dashed over to lend Zachary a helping hand. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

Zachary’s eyes were narrowed, but the room remained dark. It was then he realized that no matter how well-trained he was, and how keen his senses were, it was difficult for him to move freely around in a world of darkness.

It seems like I really need some time to get used to this.