Chapter 1371
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1371
Morgan drove on after Lupine and Charlotte got into the car. “What does Ms. Gold want with Ms. Lindberg?” Morgan asked.
“She declared war,” Lupine said angrily, “She said she and Mr. Nacht were made for each other and that she would do everything she could to win him over.”
Morgan lost it when she heard this. “Is she crazy? Who does she think she is?”
“I know right? I almost lashed out just now. Thank God Ms. Lindberg put her in her place,” Lupine replied, looking at Charlotte, “Good job back there, Ms. Lindberg.”
“Seriously, I should've just ram into her car,” Morgan seethed, her grip tightening around the steering wheel. “I'll teach her a good lesson when I see her.”
“Uh-huh, what are you gonna do to her?” Charlotte said.
"Well, I..." Morgan took a peek at Charlotte and said no more.
"What she did was way better than those devious people who do things behind your back. Do you think I'd survive her ploys if she were to use some underhanded ways?”
“True that...” Lupine said softly.
"She'd be a worse enemy if she had questionable moral.”
Despite what Charlotte said, she still felt threatened.
“She's always polite and honest in her dealings. This made her a bigger rival.”
“Don't overthink, Ms. Lindberg. Mr. Nacht put his life on the line just to save you. He loves you a lot. He won't fall for that woman.”
Charlotte lowered her gaze and kept quiet. She had a lot on her mind.
Sensing her mood, Lupine changed the topic. “How are the kids? Did they throw a tantrum because we didn't go back yesterday?”
Morgan clicked her tongue upon the question. “Don't even talk about it. They kept pestering me to read them stories. I read them three stories and yet they refused to let me go. They even made me sleep with them.”
Morgan was in charge of the kids when Charlotte was away. She rambled on and on about the children with Lupine.
Lupine talked to her as she observed Charlotte's expression.
Charlotte fixed her gaze outside the window as the journey continued. She looked troubled.
Since it was a weekend, all the children were home when they arrived.
Charlotte went over to see Ellie and the three girls before going over to see Robbie and Jamie. Jamie was studying with Robbie when Charlotte reached home. “Robbie, could you teach me this?" Robbie would usually clear his doubts patiently, but he was a little testy today. “I thought I explained this to you already?”
Jamie was upset. “You're so fierce towards me! You don't have to talk to me like this even if you don't want to teach me.”
“I've already taught you once, but you didn’t understand. This question is so simple. I don’t know why you don't get it. You're so dumb.”
"How can you say that?”
Jamie pouted his lips and was on the verge of crying. He opened the door and dashed outside, running right into Charlotte.
He stopped in astonishment when he saw Charlotte and broke down crying.
“Jamie!” Charlotte hugged him and looked at Robbie. “It's okay. Don't cry, Jamie. Your sisters are gonna laugh at you if they see you crying.”
“Mommy!” Jamie wailed harder when Charlotte hugged him.
"What happened, Jamie? Come on, stop crying, I'll bring you something nice for breakfast,” Lupine said.
“Go with Lupine and get some food. I'll talk to you later, alright?” Charlotte said, passing Jamie to Lupine before going into the room. “Robbie, we need to talk.”
Chapter 1372
Chapter 1372
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1372
Charlotte had always been extra gentle and patient with Jamie, Ellie, and Danrique’s girls, but when it came to Robbie, she could always speak to him frankly.
After all, Robbie was mature for his age.
When the boy realized he did something wrong, he lowered his head and walked over to his mother. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't get mad at Jamie,” he said softly.
“Robbie, you're like a teacher to Jamie. It's totally okay if you want to give him constructive comments so he improves, but you might want to consider doing it in a better way,” Charlotte comforted him with a smile.
“I know, Mommy."
“I know you're in a bad mood because you're worried about Daddy,” Charlotte replied, caressing his head, “But Daddy and Mommy set you a good example. We've never projected our emotions onto you guys.”
“I'm sorry, Mommy... I won't do it again.”
“That's my boy,” Charlotte said, pulling the boy into her arms.
"How's Daddy going, Mommy? Is his injury serious?” Robbie looked at her with his red eyes, trying hard not to sound too anxious.
"He was knocked by a vase and he bled a lot, but he’s out of danger already. Don't worry. He's going home later, so I guess Mr. Ben will be picking you guys up to go over later. You'll be able to see him then.”
“He's checking out so fast? Who did this to him?”
"Daddy took the impact for me. The vase fell from above and we still have no idea who did it. They're running an investigation to look into it right now. Mr. Ben will tell us what happened when he gets more information about this.”
“Alright,” Robbie said quietly. He thought for a bit and asked, “Is Daddy okay? Is he hurting elsewhere other than his head?”
"You also realized there's something off with Daddy?"
Charlotte was shocked that Robbie actually sensed there was something wrong with Zachary.
She spotted Robbie's evasive gaze. He looked restless.
Although Robbie was a mature boy, he was not good at hiding his feelings. After all, he was just a six year-old.
Charlotte knew the boy was trying to keep it a secret from her, so she decided to try a different approach. “I feel something is not right too. I'm worried that Daddy is hiding his sickness from us and bearing it all alone. I need to get to the bottom of this.”
"How are you gonna find out the truth?” the boy asked.
“I'm going to Mount Phoenix to pay my respects to Dr. Felch. I'll ask Hayley if she knows about Daddy. Don't say a word to anyone about this, okay?” Charlotte instructed.
“I won't, Mommy,” the boy replied instantly, his voice betraying a hint of thrill. “You still care about Daddy, don't you? I thought you'd just let him be.”
"Of course, I care about Daddy. I know he doesn't want to let me know, but I'm still gonna find out,” she said, patting his head.
“I actually wasn't planning on telling you this, but you're a smart boy. I won't be able to keep this from you for long, so it's better to just lay all the cards so you won't worry too much about Daddy.” Robbie nodded. “Thanks for telling me this, Mommy. I actually realized there was something wrong with Daddy. When Dr. Felch passed away, he was already at his place before we arrived. That means he went to see Dr. Felch earlier on, but Dr. Felch was not someone who likes socializing. Although he was good friends with great-grandpa, Dr. Felch only went to see him when there were important matters. As for you and Ellie, Dr. Felch had cured your disease, so there's no good reason for Daddy to see him privately.”
The boy spelled his doubts to Charlotte coherently. It was apparent that he had put in a lot of thoughts about what he observed.
“Besides, he suddenly stopped halfway when he was reading us a story. He stopped for a good minute and he seemed disturbed. Then he started making up a weird ending for the story. I feel like there's something wrong with his vision. That's why he made up the story.”
Chapter 1373
Chapter 1373
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1373
Charlotte was amazed that Robbie realized everything before she even noticed any peculiarity with Zachary.
When she thought about it, she would not have overlooked these details if she had cared more about Zachary.
This made her feel indebted to him.
“Mommy, I heard that they were looking for a doctor called Francesco. It seems like he’s the only person who can save Daddy. He's Uncle Dan's good friend. Do you know him?”
Robbie finally asked the question that had bugged him for a long time.
“Francesco?” Charlotte looked away, thinking hard. “Lupine mentioned him before. He's the one who treated me when I was poisoned. I heard that his skills are impressive, but I don't have his contact. I'll do everything I can to find him.”
“That's great. Mommy, you have to do everything to find him. Mr. Ben and Mr. Bruce have been looking for him all over.”
“I know. I'll try my best. I won't leave Daddy alone. I will do everything I can to save him. You just need to take care of yourself. Don't worry too much, okay?”
“I can help you keep an eye on how things are at home, Mommy,” Robbie suggested in all seriousness.
“It's fine, Robbie. We can solve this on our own. You're still a child. All I want is for you to be healthy and happy. I'll be able to focus on finding a cure for Daddy if I know all my children are well.” "Alright, Mommy. I'll do that,” Robbie nodded obediently.
"Good boy,” Charlotte said, touching his cheeks, “Go and play with Jamie. I'm sure he’s waiting for you to talk to him again.”
“I bet he is,” Robbie said in embarrassment before running out to look for Jamie.
Charlotte looked at him darting off and a smile curved on her lips. If there were anything she was proud of in this world, it would definitely be her children.
Knock! Lupine was here. “Ms. Lindberg, Ben is already here to pick up the kids.”
"Alright. Ask them to get their things ready. I'll be down in a minute. I need to get a change.” “Sure.” With that, Lupine executed her orders.
Charlotte got a change and went downstairs to send off the kids. Although Southridge and Northridge were close by, the children were still reluctant every time they had to say goodbye. The three girls were especially sad when they found out that Charlotte was going out and that Robbie, Jamie, and Ellie were going home. They sulked as everyone left.
Jamie and Ellie had to placate them and promise to come over tomorrow to make the girls smile again.
Charlotte sent the children off and watched their car leave. After that, she talked to the three girls before packing her bags and departing for the airport.
She only brought Lupine and two other female bodyguards with her this time around. The rest of the security personnel stayed behind to take care of the children.
Charlotte got a call from Michael when she was on the way to the airport.
"Hey, Charlotte, I have some information about the incident. Apparently, a cat ran over the vase that dropped on Mr. Nacht. The cat owner was so fearful upon knowing what happened. The hotel guest is currently talking to Ben to work out possible compensations.”
“A cat?” Charlotte interrupted, “I thought the hotel has a no-pet policy. Even if the guest is able to bring the cat in, how is it possible that the vase fell from above? I checked out the room layout. It's a room and a balcony right above the door we were at. How is it possible there's a vase on the balcony? And even if the guest moved the vase to the balcony, it should be placed on a table or a coffee table, not on the guard rail, so there's no way the cat knocks the vase over. This just doesn’t make sense.”
Chapter 1374
Chapter 1374
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1374
“I had the same doubts too upon hearing that. I talked to the cat owner and got a statement of what happened. Then, I simulated the crime scene based on the statement. I'll send you the video right away.”
Charlotte looked at the video after Michael sent it. The owner had bought some fresh roses and took the vase over to the balcony to place her flowers in there, but before she was done, her phone rang and she ran back into her room to get the call.
It was then that the white cat jumped from the floor to the balcony, sending the vase dropping downward.
At first glance, everything seemed legitimate, but Charlotte still felt something was off.
There's still something odd about this incident, but I can't seem to figure what it is...
"Did you see it already?” Michael called back after a while.
“Yeah. I can't find anything wrong with the video, but we can't just take her for her word. She might not be telling the truth.”
"Of course. I've already directed her to Ben. They will decide what to do with the case. I'm really sorry for what happened. I'll do everything I can to make it up to Mr. Nacht.”
“That's a job well done. Thanks for your help. I'm proud of how you handled everything, Michael.” “Come on, I'm almost thirty. I have to know how to handle something like this,” Michael replied with a laugh. “Luckily the room is on the fourth floor and the vase's not big. Things could have been more serious if the room were higher. The impact could be fatal.”
“I know right...” Charlotte replied. It still unnerved her to think about what happened. “But his wound is still pretty big.”
“I'm really sorry for everything. I went to the hospital in the morning to see Mr. Nacht, but he had already left, so I could only ask Ben to relay my apology. I also told them that I'm more than happy to make any form of compensation.”
“Don't say so. It's just an accident,” Charlotte comforted, “I really have to go, Michael. I'm at the airport already. I'll talk to you later.”
“The airport? Where are you off to?” Michael questioned.
“I'm going back to the countryside. I need to attend to something. I'll be back tomorrow night.” "Alright. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. Can we meet up again after you come back? I have something I need to tell you,” Michael asked reluctantly.
"We'll see how things turn out. I'll keep you updated.”
Lupine pulled up beside the entrance and got off to open the door for Charlotte. “I really got to go, Michael. Talk to you later.”
"Alright. See you.”
Carrying her baggage with her, Charlotte got off in a rush with her three bodyguards following her. “I don't think it's just an accident,” Lupine said her piece of mind, “The vase could have fallen right on you if Mr. Nacht had not pushed you away. Everything happened a little too perfectly — this is just too coincidental, don't you think so?”
“I think it's weird too, but Michael will never lie to me. He has probably gotten to the surface of things. I bet he doesn’t know what actually happened, but it's okay. Ben has a lot of experience when it comes to things like this.”
“I agree. I know he'll untangle all this mess.”
“Let's board first. We'll talk about the rest later.”
“Sure.”
The four women boarded the plane.
Over at Southridge, Zachary snickered after looking at the video. “Seriously? Do they really think I'll buy this?”
“Do you think it's Michael? I don't think he’s that kind of person though,” Ben stated.
“It's not him.” Zachary was sure about this. “It's someone else and this person wants Charlotte dead.”
"Who can it be?” Ben asked, “I sent someone over yesterday night, but the hotel staff said they could not let us look at the room because of guest privacy. Then Michael allowed us in later on, but I guess the instigator had already left.”
Chapter 1375
Chapter 1375
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1375
Zachary looked away and fell into deep thought. “Continue investigating. I want you to find out who checked in to the hotel yesterday.”
“Sure.” Ben left to carry out the order.
Zachary massaged his brows and got ready to go through some documents, but before he could work, the voices of children came from outside. “Daddy! Can we come in?”
Zachary quickly sat up to make sure he looked okay. “Come in!”
The children opened the door and ran in happily, but the moment they saw the bandage on Zachary's head, their faces changed.
“Daddy...” Ellie broke down in tears when she saw him.
"What happened to you...”
Behind her, Jamie was trying his best to force back his tears. Robbie had told him to stay strong and hold back their tears no matter what; however, despite his efforts, tears still rolled down his cheeks. “Are you okay, Daddy?"
Even Robbie was starting to choke on his words.
Daddy had always been their superhero. There was nothing he could not do. They had never seen him sick before.
Seeing him hurt was a huge blow for the children.
They felt as if their whole world was crumbling.
“I'm fine.”
Zachary held out his hands and hugged the children affectionately.
The kids hugged him back carefully, afraid that they would hurt Zachary.
"How dare they do this to you,” Jamie warned, “I'll beat them up to a pulp!”
Zachary laughed and ruffled his hair. “Leave this to Mr. Ben. He can do a better job than you. You can save the world in the future after you grow up.”
"Hey, Daddy, are you looking down on me? Fine. I will grow up into a superman.”
“Ha. Are you sure? I'll still be around when you grow up though. I'll still be the superman of the world.”
Everyone giggled at the banter and the tension eased.
"Exactly. There's no way I can beat you, Daddy,” Jamie said timidly.
Zachary pinched his cheek and nodded. “Robbie, how are studies coming along with Mr. Sterk?” "He's a great scientist. I've learned a lot from him.”
Robbie went on to share all the interesting knowledge he learned.
“Mr. Sterk is already old. He doesn’t remember things as well as he used to, so just make sure you're patient with him, alright?”
“I will, Daddy,” Robbie replied.
"What about you, Ellie? How are...”
“My studies are fine. I've been attending piano and dance classes.”
The little girl did not even wait for Zachary to finish his sentence. “Don’t worry about me. You need to rest and get well soon so you can play with us.”
"Since when did you take after your mother, huh?”
Zachary squeezed her cheeks tenderly.
“Daddy, are you saying that Mommy nags too much? I'm gonna tell her.”
Ellie puckered her lips and frowned at Zachary. “I'm gonna ask Mommy to punish you!”
Zachary chuckled looking at the cute girl. He figured this must be how Charlotte looked like when she was young.
“Daddy...” Ellie became downcast again looking at Zachary. “You have to be safe, okay? I want you to stay healthy so you can see all of us grow up.”
Chapter 1376
Chapter 1376
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1376
Hearing Ellie's baby voice and seeing how she’s pretending to be an adult by talking that way made Zachary's heart melt.
He wanted to say something, but the second his lips parted, a sting in his heart constricted his throat. In the end, he couldn't get himself to say even a word. All he could do was to hug Ellie tightly.
He felt his heart aching like never before.
If he could, he wished that he would live happily and healthily as well. He wanted to watch them grow up, but... I don't think I can last that long...
“You're being stupid, Ellie. Daddy will be fine,” scolded Robbie. He took a deep breath, and in a voice thick with tears, he insisted, “Daddy will recover. He definitely will.”
Robbie had faith that he and his mother would find Francesco to heal his father.
“Yeah, Daddy is just suffering from a minor injury. He will recover soon, so don't cry, Ellie,” cooed Jamie. His way of thinking was simpler.
"He's right. I'll be up soon to play with everyone.”
Zachary picked himself up and put on a smile to coo his kids. “Be good. I have to work, so you three go play among yourselves for now.”
"Okay," replied the kids. They nodded obediently before leaving reluctantly.
Zachary's heart felt heavy once more as he watched the kids exiting. He had gone through dozens of wars and had never feared death. Yet, at that moment, he was suddenly terrified.
He worried that his kids would not have a father once he was gone.
What if I die and no one is there to teach Robbie or to train Jamie or to coo Ellie?
And what if no one is around to protect Charlotte?
He truly, and honestly didn't want to die!
Ben saw everything when he was standing by the door. His eyes reddened with tears.
We can't put this off anymore. Once Charlotte returns, I will tell her the truth and ask her to get in touch with Francesco. We have to heal him as quickly as possible...
He was about to call Lupine when a subordinate came to report, “Ben, Ms. Gold is here.”
“Ugh, why is she here again?” complained Ben who seemed troubled by it.
"What do we do? Her car is parked right outside,” informed the subordinate.
“Let me go ask Mr. Nacht,” said Ben. He then went into Zachary's room to report, “Ms. Gold is here, Mr. Nacht."
"Okay, let her in,” replied Zachary. He was reading his texts at the time and saw that Nancy had sent multiple texts over. She said that she wanted to visit him, so he wasn't surprised to hear that she was there.
“Should I get her to the garden or..." asked Ben carefully.
"Have her meet me in the study room,” instructed Zachary as he forced himself out of bed. “Understood,” replied Ben. He had his men take care of that while he himself helped Zachary change his clothes.
It didn't take long before Nancy entered the villa. She had two subordinates with her and brought a lot of supplements with her. Everything looked expensive.
Ben went down the stairs to welcome her. They exchanged some pleasantries before he took her to the study room.
The last time Nancy was there, Zachary had her wait for him in the dining room inside the garden. Hence, she was pleasantly surprised to see that she was being invited into the house. She felt like she and Zachary were getting closer.
“This way, please.”
Ben opened the door to the study room and led Nancy inside.
Nancy's subordinates waited outside.
“Mr. Nacht...”
Nancy was understandably surprised to see Zachary sitting behind his desk like that. She thought that he was so sick that he could only lie on his bed and couldn’t move a muscle. It looks like he is doing pretty well...
“Last night didn’t count as me missing our appointment, did it?” asked Zachary with a smile.
“Not at all,” answered Nancy. She grinned awkwardly before teasing, “I'm not here to demand an explanation for that, you know?"
“I'm glad to hear that,” replied Zachary before he gestured for her to take a seat.
Nancy handed the gifts over to Ben and sat down opposite to Zachary. She was mocking herself a little when she smiled and pointed out, “It feels like we're talking business.”
“Well, I truly am bad at this,” said Zachary before he grinned as well.
Chapter 1377
Chapter 1377
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1377
“I was just heartbroken,” said Nancy. She looked a little sad and stared at Zachary before adding, “You don't actually need to see me as an outsider. It doesn’t matter what state you're in. You'll always be a hero to me.”
That was the first time Zachary had heard anyone professing their love for him that boldly. He couldn't help being taken aback.
The truth was that he had always been on the top and had been strict with himself. He had also been a perfectionist when it came to love, so he didn't have much romantic interactions with women.
He didn't get close to Sharon and Cynthia of his own free will, and he had never felt anything for them.
Hence, in a way, Nancy was the only woman he had ever willingly got close to, aside from Charlotte. Nancy was undeniably perfect. Her family background, her education, her aura, her serene temper, her beauty... Everything was flawless.
The most important bit, however, was that she was especially attentive to Zachary.
“Sorry, I may have been a little too direct,” apologized Nancy when she saw how Zachary hadn't replied in a while. She understandably panicked a little and added, “I just wanted to say that you don't need to pretend to be strong all the time. We're all just human, and we all fall sick sometimes.”
Her voice was soft and trembling a little, but it was not because she was nervous. Her voice only sounded that way because she was heartbroken.
“Thank you,” replied Zachary when he finally spoke up. Unfortunately, all he could offer were those two words. He later asked, “So, why did you drop by?”
“I just wanted to visit. I'm glad to see that you're okay,” answered Nancy. She was quick to get her emotions in check because she was worried that he would get sick of her.
“Oh, thank you,” thanked Zachary once more. He didn’t know what else to say after that.
“There's one more thing,” shared Nancy. She seemed to have just recalled something and was quick to inform, “I heard that Sir Louis is missing, and Sir Robert is looking everywhere for him. You should be wary when you leave the house these days.”
“Louis is missing?” blurted Zachary. He was a little surprised and immediately ordered, “Ben, go look into the matter.”
“Understood,” replied Ben before he went to carry out his task.
“Rumor has it that something had happened in F Nation, and it hurt Sir Louis bad.
"He even tried to slit his own wrist, but he was rescued in time. Unfortunately, the wound in his heart couldn't heal that easily.
“By the way, he seemed to have showed signs of being depressed. Lady Sherlyn had asked a few experts over to examine him and had kept that news hidden.
"After that, Sir Louis snuck over to H City. He did that to look for Ms. Lindberg, but he bumped into you instead. In a fit of agitation, he attacked, but he missed and hurt Ms. Lindberg.
“When he returned, Sir Robert reprimanded him. Sir Louis made sure that no one was around and ran away from home after that.”
Nancy gave Zachary a cliff's note version of what had happened.
“Is that really necessary? So he got dumped. What's the big deal?” said Zachary in an exasperated tone.
“I think it's more than that. I heard that something vile happened within the Laurent family, and Ms. Lindberg got into a fight with them as a result. Didn't she tell you about it?” asked Nancy in a meaningful tone.
"What happened?” asked Zachary.
“I don't know the specifics,” answered Nancy while shaking her head, “Sir Louis is involved in it somehow, and it's supposedly embarrassing. The Laurent family kept it well hidden and made sure that no one could get to the truth, though. Even I don't know the whole story.”
Zachary didn't reply. He simply frowned deeply.
If the matter involved Louis, then it surely involved Charlotte as well.
Zachary had long thought that things were strange because it seemed weird that Charlotte and the Laurent family became so hostile toward each other all of a sudden.
It was too extreme for the Laurent family to keep her locked up and send their men over to kill her, even if wanted to bully her after Danrique had fallen.
Moreover, why did Louis try to kill himself? And his depression... I'm guessing something happened behind the scenes.
Gah, it's so frustrating that Charlotte refused to talk about this. What the hell happened between her and Louis?
Chapter 1378
Chapter 1378
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1378
“Mr. Nacht, I just looked into the matter and it is as Ms. Gold had said. Sir Louis is missing, and he was diagnosed with depression. It seemed that the family is hiding a huge secret as well,” reported Ben hurriedly at that moment.
“I want the specifics! D*rn it, is that all you have to tell me after I told you to investigate the matter?” scolded Zachary.
“Right, of course. I'll further investigate the matter...”
“Leave!”
Zachary was losing his temper and was getting frustrated again.
His most recent injury showed him that Charlotte still cared, and their relationship was getting better.
However, he learned about how there was a secret between Louis and Charlotte. That got him agitated once more.
He thought about what he saw at the time in the hotel in Arkfield, and a sting ambushed his heart. It hurt so much that he felt like he was suffocating.
“I'm sorry, Mr. Nacht. I shouldn't have shared all that with you. I was just worried that Sir Louis will hurt you and wanted to warn you,” said Nancy while staring apologetically over.
“I understand. Thank you,” replied Zachary. He regained his footing and added, “I have been busy working on my own matter lately and forgot about keeping an eye on the situation. Hence, I'm glad you reminded me.”
“I'm just doing my part,” replied Nancy as she stared lovingly at him, “By the way, my project is kicking off on the first of next month. I'll throw a banquet then. If you recover by then...”
“There's still nine more days till the banquet. I should be fine and will be there,” promised Zachary. “That's good to know,” said Nancy while smiling happily. She handed the invitation card to him and added, “We've only invited thirty guests for this event, and they are all business tycoons. My father will be there too. You'll be the most prestigious guest we have there, though, so I truly wish to see you there.”
"Okay, I'll be there on time,” replied Zachary as he accepted the invitation card.
“Then I better leave now so that I won't disrupt your rest,” said Nancy as she stood up and added in a concerned tone, “You must rest well. If you haven't recovered when the month ends, maybe...” "Don’t worry, I'll be there,” promised Zachary once again.
“Pinky promise,” requested Nancy before she extended her hand to him.
Zachary was slightly taken aback, but he eventually reached out and gave her a pinky promise. Nancy grinned gleefully before leaving reluctantly.
Ben walked her out, then returned to the study room to share the fruits of his investigation with Zachary. “For now, all we can figure out is what Ms. Gold had just shared with us. The Laurent family is keeping the secret well hidden, so it will take us some time before we get to it,” reported Ben. Zachary didn't even bother reading the file handed to him. He tossed it aside and got up to return to his room. Unfortunately, the pain from his injury was too severe, and he turned pale from it.
“Mr. Nacht...” said Ben as he hurried over to help Zachary up.
Zachary crouched down but had one hand on the sofa to support himself. He put his other hand on his head. The pain he experienced was so sharp that it got him to distort his face.
“I'll go get Raina over right away...”
Ben thought that the source of Zachary’s pain was the injury on his head, so the former rushed to call Raina.
“No!” halted Zachary. He reached out to stop the guy, then fell onto the sofa and said, “It's not my injury. It's...”
The pain was so intense that Zachary couldn't even finish speaking. He gritted his teeth and leaned against the sofa as his sweat dripped down.
“Is the poison acting up again? How did this happen? It had never hurt you that badly before, so why... Mr. Nacht? Mr. Nacht!”
Zachary fainted on the sofa before Ben could even finish speaking.
That prompted Ben to call Raina immediately. The latter was staying in Southridge, so she was quick to show up with her medical staffs.
Marino, Cain, and the others kept the kids away from the room. They made up some excuses and banned the children from entering the room because they didn’t want to traumatize the kids.
Raina and her team started treating Zachary right away. They treated his issue as an emergency. Ben stood at the side and was so worried that he was trembling. This can't go on. If things keep progressing this way, Mr. Nacht might actually...
As Ben walked away, he dialed Lupine’s number. He couldn't reach her, though.
Chapter 1379
Chapter 1379
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1379
That evening, a private jet landed in Phoenix City.
It was a rather small place, so even the airport felt a little deserted.
Charlotte led her people out of the plane and got into the car they prepared beforehand. All three of them got into the car and made their way to Mount Phoenix right away.
As they traveled, Lupine turned on her phone and noted that there were a few missed calls. She was about to call back when she suddenly noticed how several black cars were tailing them.
“Ms. Lindberg..."
"Yeah, I know," replied Charlotte who was keeping her eyes on the rearview mirror. She calmly instructed, “Change of plans. We're not going to Mount Phoenix anymore. Change route now.”
She didn't want to drag Hayley and Sam into the mess.
“Understood.”
The ladies’ car made a turn and tried to shake off their tail.
"Who the hell are they? It doesn't look like they're from Erihal,” commented Lupine curiously.
“Let's figure that out after we've lost them.”
Charlotte had been monitoring her enemies via the rearview mirror. She wanted to apprehend them and figure out who they were as well, but she didn't have many subordinates with her. On top of that, they didn’t have any weapons. Things will get ugly if we get into a fight, thought Charlotte. They have five cars in total and about twenty men with them, so they are clearly out for blood. However, they didn't use their weapons on us and are trying to force our car into a corner. That means they want us alive...
As the fight got more intense on Charlotte's side, Zachary remained unconscious in Southridge. Bruce rushed over once he heard the news. When he saw how terrible Zachary looked, he punched the wall out of worry and declared, “We can't keep waiting like this. I'll go to Erihal and look for Francesco myself!”
“I was going to do exactly that,” replied Ben, “Francesco has to be in Erihal. I'll work from here and locate him as quickly as possible. After that, I will share his location with you, and you can go straight to him once you land.”
“Alright,” agreed Bruce, “Work as quickly as possible, and stop hesitating! Don’t worry so much about the future. We have to save him, even if it means he will end up being chased out of the Nacht family.”
“I know,” shared Ben in a thick voice, “I was too cowardly to betray him earlier, but the way things are now... We can't afford to worry about anything else.”
"Okay, then we'll split up and work from different angles. I'll rush to the airport now.”
“Take a few more men with you and keep in touch with me.”
The two of them exchanged some more words before Ben took a deep breath to pick himself back up. He entered Zachary's room after that.
Raina pulled up the blanket for Zachary. She turned around and informed Ben, “I want to invite Dr. Wright over to treat Mr. Nacht. She might be able to help.”
"Okay, then get in touch with her soon.”
Ben was out of options. He would hold on to any shred of hope and possibility.
“I worry that she won't come. She only agreed to drop by the last time because Mr. Nacht called her in person. She might not listen to me..."
Raina hadn't even finished speaking before her phone rang. She checked the screen and blurted in surprise, “It's Ms. Gold.”
"Why is she contacting you now?” complained Ben in an annoyed tone.
"She asked for my number this morning and told me to get in touch with her should Mr. Nacht's condition worsen or if we need help,” answered Raina. After that, she picked up the call, “Ms. Gold..."
“Dr. Langhan, I tried to call Ben, but no one picked up so I'm calling you instead. I've hired Dr. Wright and asked her to come to treat Mr. Nacht. I also sent a private jet to go pick her up.
"Her plane should land shortly, and I am waiting to pick her up at the airport. Please ask Mr. Nacht if he’s free tonight. Perhaps Dr. Wright can drop by his place to treat him?”
"Yes, of course,” replied Raina in an ecstatic tone, “I was just about to ask her to drop by and was worried that she might not agree to fly over. Who would've thought that you'd already gotten her over? This is fantastic news to us.”
“I'm glad to hear that. To tell you the truth, I was actually worried that Mr. Nacht might not like how I'm taking the initiative to do things and might call me a busybody,” said Nancy, “I'll head over with Dr. Wright later. Is that okay?”
"Of course that's fine. When will the two of you be here? I'll go pick you both up.”
Raina was extremely excited. Helen being there would, no doubt, increase the odds of Zachary surviving.
Even if Dr. Wright can't cure Mr. Nacht completely, she can still stabilize his condition and prevent it from deteriorating.
Chapter 1380
Chapter 1380
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1380
"We'll be there in about an hour. The airport is some distance away, and the plane is still in the air. It'd also take some time before the good doctor passes through customs,” informed Nancy. “Please hurry,” blurted Raina.
"Huh? Why? What's wrong? Did something happen to Mr. Nacht?” asked Nancy hurriedly and in a concerned tone.
“He fainted.”
Raina knew that there was no point in hiding the truth because Nancy would eventually learn it since she was dropping by with the good doctor.
"How did that happen? He seemed fine when I left this morning,” shared Nancy. She was instantly worried.
“It's a long story. Let's talk about it in person,” answered Raina to change the topic.
"Okay, I'll head over as quickly as possible.”
“Thank you.”
After hanging up, Raina turned to Ben and informed, “They will be here in about an hour. It seems that we can no longer keep Mr. Nacht's medical condition a secret.”
“Naturally, we can't lie to Dr. Wright because she needs to know the symptoms to treat Mr. Nacht properly. We can, however, lie to Ms. Gold and tell her that it is just a simple injury,” shared Ben, who had considered everything carefully, “Dr. Wright and Ms. Gold might be friends, but the good doctor is even closer to Mr. Nacht. I'm sure she understands the importance of keeping things a secret and won't blab.”
“That's true,” said Raina while nodding, “Dr. Wright showing up at this time is like finding an oasis in a desert. She would help us greatly.”
"We truly owe Ms. Gold a favor for this,” sighed Ben.
"Please take care of Mr. Nacht. I'll go set things up.”
"Okay."
Raina left after that, and Ben became the only one standing guard beside Zachary who was sleeping deeply and had shallow breaths. It looked like he might die at any moment.
Ben panicked. He knew that Helen could, at most, stabilize Zachary's condition and prevent it from worsening. She can't cure him completely. We still need Francesco for that.
Bruce has already left for Erihal, and I have to locate Francesco soon as well.
Those thoughts prompted Ben to call Lupine once more.
The phone kept ringing, but no one picked up.
Ben found that to be strange. If the phone is ringing, then it means that they have gotten off the private jet. So, why isn't she picking up?
Ordinary folks might miss a call or neglect to check their phones, but Lupine was different. Like Ben, she was a trained elite bodyguard and knew to keep in constant contact with her client and/or those close to her.
She would never ignore her call unless something had happened... Oh no!
Ben instantly panicked when he thought about that. Are they in trouble now?
He quickly called Charlotte, but no one picked up either.
That prompted him to call Hayley right away. Finally, someone picked up his call. “Hello!”
"Hayley, have Ms. Lindberg and the others reached your place?” asked Ben to cut to the chase. “No, not yet,” answered Hayley nervously, “I thought it's strange as well. By right, they should've called us once they reached the vicinity, but they never got in touch with us. I tried calling Charlotte and Lupine earlier, but neither picked up.”
That means something truly had happened!
Ben's expression took a sharp turn, but his voice remained calm when he informed, “Don’t worry about it. Some miscellaneous issues probably delayed them. Please inform me once they show up.” "Oh, okay.”
After hanging up, Ben had Cain and Kyle take some men over to Phoenix City to locate Charlotte and the others. He commanded them to bring everyone home safely.
Cain and Kyle took over ten subordinates with them and departed right away.
The Nacht family was facing troubles from all angles, and Ben was feeling more pressured and worried than ever.
He had faced many grave issues in the past, but everyone felt strong and motivated because Zachary was around to lead them. He inspired them to be fearless.
With Zachary out of commission, the weight of the Zachary's burden fell onto them and crushed them.
“Ms. Gold and Dr. Wright are here, Ben,” reported a subordinate at that moment.
“Invite them over immediately.”