Ch. 1401..1410
Chapter 1401
Chapter 1401
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1401
If it were before, Charlotte would definitely be infuriated. In fact, she might even mock Zachary and storm off. However, since she knew the truth, her mood was entirely different.
“Ms. Windt, you're back!”
When Hanna's excited voice rang out, Charlotte looked up. Among everyone in the house, only she came out to welcome her happily. “It's good to have you back. Mr. Zachary has been worried sick about you.”
“Where is he?"
Just when Charlotte was about to enter the house, she was stopped at the door by Spencer's subordinates, who used to work under Henry.
The two men stepped in her way and forbade her from entering.
“Ms. Lindberg, if you don't mind my lowly status, I would like to speak to you in private.” Despite Spencer's humble words, there was an air of intimidation behind it.
“Spencer...” Just when Hanna wanted to say something in Charlotte's defense, she held her tongue when she saw the look on his face.
“Mr. Spencer, I would like to see Zachary first. We can talk after that, all right?”
Charlotte treated Spencer with the utmost respect. That was because when Henry made life difficult for her, Spencer would always adopt an impartial attitude and even protect her sometimes.
“You infuriated Mr. Zachary that he...” The moment Spencer brought the topic up, his entire body trembled in anger. “I will look past the fact that the first time he suffered a relapse was from saving you. However, just when he was rescued from the brink of death, you provoked him again, causing him to now be..."
Just as he spoke, his eyes reddened.
With a tone filled with anger and pain, he continued, “Charlotte, when Mr. Henry was still around, I would always advise him to be impartial and considerate no matter how difficult he made your life to be. But now, after seeing Mr. Zachary in this condition, I can no longer be forbearing.”
"What happened to him?” Charlotte was ridden with anxiety that she barged into the house and demanded, “1 want to see him!”
“Stop right there!” Spencer barked. When his subordinates were about to block her way, she shoved them aside angrily. “How dare you stop me?”
“You—"
"Who is causing a ruckus down here?”
Just as Spencer was about to speak, a frosty voice sounded from upstairs.
Charlotte turned to look and saw Nancy standing by the railings on the second floor. The latter looked down at her in a condescending manner. “Charlotte Lindberg, where are your manners? How could you barge into someone else’s home without permission?”
"Since when do you have the right to say anything here?” Charlotte glared at her.
"You are not the one to decide that.” Nancy gradually walked down the stairs. “Now that Mr. Nacht is being treated, he needs peace. So please leave immediately and don't disturb him.”
"What gives you the right—" Charlotte roared
“The fact that I brought the doctor over and saved Mr. Nacht's life.” Nancy raised her eyebrows. "Why don’t you ask everyone in this house who deserves to stay?”
"You—"
“It goes without saying that it's Ms. Gold,” Spencer proclaimed calmly. “In both of Mr. Zachary's relapses, I shudder to think of the consequences if Ms. Gold hadnt brought Dr. Wright over. As of now, Dr. Wright only takes orders from Ms. Gold. You can't leave Mr. Zachary's side, Ms. Gold.” "Did you hear that?” Nancy taunted while glaring at Charlotte. “What are you waiting for?” Charlotte was disheartened by the words she had heard. She had only left for three days, yet Nancy had taken over the entire household.
Directing her gaze at the bodyguards and maids in the living hall, she saw them lowering their heads in silence.
Only Hanna looked at her with misty eyes. Nevertheless, she, too, did not have the courage to speak up.
Charlotte was incensed and heartbroken at the same time. Just when she was about to give Ben a call, a tender yet authoritative voice sounded. “No one can chase my mommy away.”
Turning to look, Charlotte saw Robbie, Jamie, and Ellie alighting from the car together with Kyle. The kids then sprinted inside the house and stood before her to protect their mother.
Chapter 1402
Chapter 1402
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1402
Just like an angry lion, Jamie held up his fist and stared daggers at Nancy. “You evil woman. This is my home. I won't allow you to chase my mommy out!”
“Mr. Spencer, why did you help outsiders bully my mommy?” Running up to Spencer, Ellie held his hand and questioned him while crying. “You have always loved us. How could you do this?”
“Be a good girl, Ellie. Don't cry.” Spencer quickly wiped the tears off her face.
Approaching Nancy calmly, Robbie asked, “Ms. Gold, I presume?”
He conducted himself with the utmost politeness, but there was a fearsome and intimidating air to his voice.
“Thank you for bringing the doctor to treat my daddy. As for the expenses, I will have my people pay you back manyfold. Once my daddy has recovered, our whole family will visit you to express our gratitude. But for now, please apologize to my mommy!”
“Uhm...”
Nancy was stunned by the sight of the children. When she regained her senses, she frantically explained with a smile, “Kids, I didn’t bully your mommy. It's just that your daddy is undergoing treatment now. The doctor says he needs peace, but your mom has been causing a ruckus. Hence, I simply requested for her to go out—"
“This is my home,” Robbie interrupted her. He then declared haughtily, “An outsider has no right to call the shots here!”
"You..." Nancy's beautiful face crimsoned as she choked with fury.
“Besides, my mommy has always been gentle and well-mannered. She never kicks up a fuss. So, how could it be her that's noisy?” the boy retorted steadily. “Even if someone is causing a scene, she would be the last one to do so!”
His comments were aimed at Spencer.
Color flooded Spencer's face, but he dared not utter a word. Back when Henry was still around, Robbie was his favorite great-grandson. Henry even commented that the boy was a genius, so no one dared to challenge him.
Having been rebuked by Robbie, Nancy wanted to retort but realized she did not have a strong case for defending herself. Moreover, with everyone in the house looking at her, she was fully aware that continuing arguing with a kid would not look good on her.
Hence, it was the smarter choice for her to make concessions. Lowering her head, she apologized to Charlotte, “Ms. Lindberg, I'm sorry for my inappropriate words just now. I was just caught up in my desperation to save Mr. Nacht. Hence, I hope you will forgive me.”
She found a good excuse by blaming it on her desperation to treat Zachary.
Regardless of her sincerity, the fact was that she did save him.
Therefore, Charlotte knew she could not castigate her. Otherwise, Spencer and the other servants might think lesser of her.
“Ms. Gold, you're being too modest. You have saved my children’s father, so I should be the one to thank you. Though you were too eager to make me leave...”
Charlotte, too, knew how to use that tactic. After all, it did not belong to Nancy solely.
“It's my fault.” Nancy continued to hang her head.
"Koandrians are really courteous. Unfortunately, I'm used to being forthright. Hence, I'm not good at such pleasantries.” A half-smile appeared on Charlottes face. “Since Dr. Wright is still here, we should let her continue with the treatment. As for the household matters...”
She then turned her attention toward Spencer. “Mr. Spencer, I'm sure we don't have to trouble Ms. Gold, isn't it?”
"Ms. Gold, she..."
Just when Spencer was about to speak, he noticed Robbie staring at him intensely. Hence, he changed his tune. “Ms. Gold, we are extremely grateful to you for inviting Dr. Wright over. We will definitely visit you to thank you properly at the end of all this. As you have been working hard for the past two days, I think it's time for you to get some rest at home.”
Everyone at home knew Spencer was able to throw his weight around Zachary, but Robbie had the power to do the same to him.
“All right then. I'll be taking my leave.”
Suppressing the rage that surged within her, Nancy forced a smile at Charlotte. However, her eyes had an icy glint in them.
“Ms. Gold, please show yourself out.”
Stepping aside, Charlotte gestured toward the exit.
Chapter 1403
Chapter 1403
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1403
With that, Nancy left furiously with her subordinates.
Charlotte was thrilled to watch Nancy leave. As the latter had been civil to her, she did not intend to make things difficult for her.
However, when Nancy tried to take over her place in the Nacht residence and openly challenged her, Charlotte chose to take her gloves off.
Nevertheless, she does know a thing or two. In just a few days, she had the entire Nacht family eating out of her hands. Luckily, the kids protected me. Or else, I would have been at a terrible disadvantage.
Holding that thought, Charlotte asked Kyle in a low voice, “How did it occur to you to bring the children over?”
“Ben reminded me to. He was worried that you might face some trouble here. Hence, he instructed me to bring them here,” Kyle replied in the same volume. “When we're at the middle of the mountain, I drove toward Northridge to pick them up.”
“Smart,” she praised.
“Mommy, you should go upstairs to see Daddy.” Exuding the air of a head of a household, Robbie began to take charge. “Jamie, Ellie, both of you should play upstairs. However, don't be too loud as to disturb Daddy.”
“Okay.” Jamie and Ellie nodded before proceeding upstairs obediently.
“Mr. Spencer, shall we talk?” Robbie turned toward Spencer.
Frightened by his gaze, Spencer began to cough nervously. However, he dared not refuse. “Sure, sure.”
“Mrs. Rawlston, please prepare a cup of tea for Mr. Spencer,” Robbie instructed Hanna before beaming at the older man. “I remember he loves tea, doesn't he?”
"Yes, yes, right away.” Hanna quickly went to prepare it.
“That's right. I'm surprised that you remember.”
Spencer was always fearful of Robbie as he exuded the Nacht family’s intimidating aura every time he spoke. Despite his young age, he had an incredibly sharp gaze.
Furthermore, he was already very good at playing mind games.
At that moment, Spencer recalled how Henry used to praise Robbie. He mentioned that every new generation surpassed the preceding one. Compared to Zachary when he was the same age, Robbie demonstrated capabilities that exceeded those of his father.
Seeing that Robbie had dealt with Spencer and settled down Jamie and Ellie, Charlotte was extremely relieved. Hence, she strode upstairs to see Zachary.
Outside the master bedroom stood four bodyguards and two maids. As they were already aware of the confrontation downstairs, they greeted her respectfully and allowed her to enter.
"Zachary..." Charlotte called out the man’s name emotionally.
However, the moment she did so, she was stunned by the scene before her.
Zachary lay motionless in bed. Helen was treating the wound behind his ear while Raina and another nurse were assisting her.
When Helen saw Charlotte arrive, she shot her a glance and reminded her in Ustranasion. “Keep quiet!”
With light footsteps, Charlotte walked to the side of the door and barely dared to breathe aloud. After a while, the wound was finally dressed
Helen sighed in exhaustion and said to Raina in Ustranasion solemnly, “He's not in critical condition anymore. However, he will need to lie in bed for three days. He cannot be provoked or move unnecessarily. Otherwise, don't call me over anymore as there won't be anything else I can do for him.”
“I understand. Thank you, Dr. Wright.” Raina offered, “I'll walk you out.”
“Don’t worry about it. I'll show myself out.”
After washing her hands in the bathroom, the doctor left with her assistant. When she walked past Charlotte, she looked at her intently without saying a word.
Charlotte found Helen's response strange. However, she quickly figured that the doctor must have thought she was the cause of Zachary's dangerous condition.
With everyone gone, the room fell silent again.
Raina hastened to greet Charlotte. “Ms. Lindberg, you're finally back. When Mr. Nacht was injured the last time, we assumed he was fine. However, we didn't expect the vase to hit a vital part. Therefore—"
“I understand.”
Charlotte was aware that Raina was making up an excuse to prevent her from finding out about Zachary's poisoning. Instead of exposing her lie, she pretended to be clueless.
She figured it would be less stressful for everyone that way.
Chapter 1404
Chapter 1404
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1404
"His injury has affected some of his important nerves, which resulted in his dangerous condition.” Concerned that Charlotte did not realize the gravity of the situation and might hurt Zachary further, Raina exhorted, “I'm sure you heard what Dr. Wright just said. We have been very mindful of Mr. Nacht's condition lately.”
“I know.” Charlotte nodded. “Don’t worry. I'll be careful.”
"Also..." Raina explained awkwardly, “Due to the special circumstances, my assistant and I will stay by his side around the clock.”
“Understood.”
Charlotte knew that Raina’s mind could not be at ease as she was fearful of any more accidents. After all, it did involve a man’s life.
“That's good.” Raina heaved a sigh of relief. “Why don't you go see Mr. Nacht? I'll be packing up the things.”
“All right.”
With that, Charlotte walked up to the bed. As she started at the unconscious Zachary, remorse washed over her.
If only I had noticed the problem earlier and forgiven him, he wouldn't have ended up this way. He has done so much for me behind my back and suffered so much alone. Yet, he never let me know. She had always assumed that his domineering character led him to force her to stay by his side. Only then did she finally realize his true intentions.
Ben is right. The animosity of the past is now water under the bridge. Everyone involved in the matter is no longer around. It's time to let it go.
“Ms. Lindberg, have some tea.” Raina poured Charlotte a cup of hot tea. “Did you just return? Were you injured?”
“Yes, and I'm fine. When will he wake up?”
“Dr. Wright speculated that it might be tonight or tomorrow morning. But it's still anyone's guess.” Raina kept her voice low, worried that she might disturb Zachary’s rest. “Mr. Nacht was in grave danger this time. I almost thought that...”
She stopped mid-sentence before rephrasing, “The vase hit a critical part of his head. If not for Dr. Wright, the consequences would have been dire.”
“It's all my fault!”
Charlotte was overwhelmed with regret. Considering Zachary's prior medical history, the vase had acted like a fuse that ignited the problem in his nerves, heightening the risk of his condition. “Don't say that,” Raina comforted her. “It was an accident. Don't blame yourself for it.”
“I came straight here right after I got off the plane and hadn't managed to change yet.” Charlotte suddenly realized that she might be bringing germs to Zachary. “I'll go wash up in the guest room before coming back.”
“All right.” Raina had someone lead her to the guest room.
When Charlotte entered the room, she did not hasten to shower. Instead, she gave Gordon and Sean a call. When the calls still did not get through, she began to worry. Hence, she tried contacting Danrique’s other subordinates.
However, she failed to reach any of them
Filled with anxiety, Charlotte gave Morgan a call and instructed her to continue reaching out to Danrique’s men. Even if it was a lowly subordinate, they had to establish contact no matter what. When Morgan tried to ask about what happened, she stopped her and told her to do as told. Given how rare it was to see Charlotte so anxious, Morgan went off at once to get it done.
After washing up and changing into a set of comfortable clothing, Charlotte returned to Zachary's room.
At that moment, Raina and a few other medical staff had packed up their equipment and were holding warm towels to wipe Zachary's body. Seeing that, Charlotte walked up and offered, “Let me do it.”
Raina handed her a towel and warned, “Be careful not to touch his head.”
"Got it.” Charlotte carefully avoided Zachary's head. When she started wiping his hand, she was shocked by what she saw.
The back of his hand and even his wrist were a mass of needle marks and bruises left from acupuncture treatment.
However, she had never noticed them before.
Filled with guilt, Charlotte felt tears welling up in her eyes. She then unbuttoned his collar to wipe his torso and unexpectedly found bruises all over his chest.
Chapter 1405
Chapter 1405
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1405
The marks meant that Zachary had been undergoing treatment the whole time, yet she was oblivious to it.
It was not until he experienced a relapse and lost his vision that she finally noticed.
At that thought, Charlotte blamed herself for everything that had happened. Considering how severe Zachary's condition had gotten by then, it would be well and good if he could be cured.
If he ended up dying at a young age because of her, she would never forgive herself for the rest of her life.
“Ms. Lindberg, why don't you let me do it?” Worried that Charlotte would notice something, Raina frantically came up with an excuse. “Your hand hasn't recovered yet, so you shouldn't let it come into contact with water.”
"At most, my wound will only worsen.” Charlotte took a deep breath and choked out, “But he... He is in danger of losing his life. I don’t know how much time I have left to take care of him.”
Raina was stunned to hear her words. Realizing something, she asked in a panic, “Ms. Lindberg, d- do you—"
"Yes, I know.” Charlotte let out a sorrowful sigh. “All of you should have told me earlier.”
"How did you... Did Ben tell you?"
Raina was flustered. If Zachary woke up and learned that Charlotte knew the truth of his condition, he would definitely lose his temper.
“Not him.” Charlotte cooked up an excuse. “I coerced Hayley into telling me about it. Besides, I'm not a fool. How can he be so grievously injured because of a vase?”
"Since the cat is out of the bag, could you help us contact Francesco?” Raina could no longer care less about hiding the truth and asked candidly. All they wanted was for Zachary to recover.
“I'm on it.” Charlotte gently stroked Zachary's face. “By hook or by crook, I'll find him!"
“That's wonderful!” Raina was overwhelmed with emotions. “I told them that we should have told you about this. After all, only you can locate Francesco.”
“Leave Francesco to me. Once I have a lead, I'll fly to Erihal at once.” Charlotte turned toward her and urged, “Once he wakes up, you should pretend that I'm still unaware of his condition. If not, he will feel burdened.”
"Yes, definitely.” Raina nodded profusely. “I share your sentiment. After all, Mr. Nacht is a proud man. If he finds out that you know about his condition, he won't be able to accept it.”
“That's why you and Ben should mind your words,” Charlotte warned.
“Understood.” Raina smiled wryly with teary eyes. “Now, I can finally rest easy. Or else, your frequent quarrels with him would aggravate his condition.”
“It won't happen again.”
Charlotte cupped Zachary's face and gently ran her fingers over his cracked lips. Tormented by her guilt, she swore that she would care for him and never hurt him again.
When Raina saw her reaction, she felt a sense of relief, for she knew that the couple's relationship depended on Charlotte.
Despite his cold demeanor, Zachary's affection for Charlotte was deep. As long as she was willing to let go of the past, both of them would definitely be able to reconcile, just like old times.
Since Charlotte was aware of the truth, Raina quietly left the room, not wanting to disturb them further. Before she left, she reminded Charlotte to press the button by the bed if she ever needed help.
Staying by Zachary's side, Charlotte teared up as she recalled everything that had happened in the past.
Meanwhile, in the study downstairs, Robbie questioned Spencer directly, “Mr. Spencer, do you have something against my mommy?”
“Robbie, sometimes, the affairs of adults are hard to explain,” Spencer replied softly. “However, I will never harm your mommy.”
"Sometimes, treating someone indifferently and shunning them is a form of abuse.” Robbie stared into his eyes. “Although you didn't bully mommy as Great-grandpa did, she would still be hurt by your attitude.”
Chapter 1406
Chapter 1406
Chapter 1406 Inferior To A Child
Stumped by Robbie’s words, Spencer had nothing to say in his defense.
“Ms. Gold is a decent person. She isn't as fiery as Ms. Sharon nor as malevolent as Ms. Cynthia. She comes from a well-to-do family and is extremely smart and capable. Also, she is open with others..." Robbie calmly commented. “However, no matter how good she is, she will never be able to top Mommy. Jamie, Ellie, and I will only have one mommy. As for Daddy, he only loves Mommy. I'm sure you're well aware of this.”
"Yes, I understand.” Spencer nodded fervently. “I won't interfere in their relationship. All I wish is for your daddy to recover faster and your mommy to refrain from arguing and provoking him as it will affect his recuperation.”
“That is also my wish.” Robbie's expression turned grim at the mention of Zachary's illness. “Mr. Spencer, don't worry. Mommy cares for Daddy as much as the three of us. She has been trying to find a doctor for him."
“Really?” Spencer's eye lit up at his words. “Is she looking for—"
“Francesco.” Robbie finished the older man's sentence. “Only Mommy can find him.”
"Right, right,” Spencer quickly responded. “Given the urgency of this matter, we need to locate him as soon as possible.”
“Mommy will think of a way.” Robbie was sure of it. “The doctor that Ms. Gold brought can only buy us some time. Only Mommy is capable of truly saving Daddy. Therefore, Mr. Spencer, I'm sure you're now clear who the lady of the house is?”
“I am, I am.” Spencer nodded repeatedly. “Don’t worry. I understand.”
“Thank you, Mr. Spencer.” Robbie slid down the sofa and bowed at him. “On behalf of Jamie and Ellie, 1 would like to thank you sincerely!”
"Come on, Robbie, there's no need for this.” Spencer quickly helped him up.
“Daddy respects you a lot while we also admire you. Your acknowledgment and blessings are crucial to the happiness of our family.” Robbie looked at the older man sincerely. “Furthermore, now that Daddy is sick, you are in charge of all the family affairs. Therefore, you must be on the same page as us.”
"You're right.”
Spencer hung his head in shame. Despite Robbie's simple words, the underlying meaning it carried was deep and unfeeling.
If they were not of one mind, their enemies could exploit their weakness.
Since the Nacht family was facing a crisis, it was even more important for them to stay united.
After his discussion with Spencer, Robbie went to see Jamie and Ellie. He reminded them to be obedient and sensible. They were not allowed to kick up a fuss, much less bother their parents. Other than going to school, they were to stay at Northridge to accompany their cousins so that they would not disturb Zachary.
Although Jamie and Ellie were unaware of the happenings, they nodded to acknowledge Robbie's instructions.
After all, their eldest brother's words were never wrong.
When Ben returned in the evening, he went to see Spencer.
The older man was relieved to hear that Charlotte knew about Zachary's condition and was working hard to locate Francesco.
Ben then explained to Spencer what happened at Phoenix City and wished that the latter could forgive Charlotte. He hoped that all of them could stand together in the face of the crisis.
Spencer nodded to express his support.
Recalling Robbie’s words, he was mortified. Even though everyone saw him as the wise one, he was inferior to a child in certain aspects.
After some self-reflection, Spencer figured that there was no need for him to remain since Charlotte was around.
Ben consoled him for some time before arranging for some men to escort him back to Garden Villa, saying he would bring him back after Charlotte left.
After all, someone had to be in the Nacht residence to take the helm.
Spencer nodded in agreement and stood by in Garden Villa.
Chapter 1407
Chapter 1407
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort chapter 1407
Once everything was settled, Ben went to see Zachary.
When he was sending Lupine to the hospital, he had spoken to Marino over the phone. Upon learning that Zachary had suffered a relapse, he knew it would be chaotic at home, and Charlotte would face obstacles there. That was why he ordered Kyle to pick the children up from Northridge to protect their mother.
Finally, it was all resolved. Nancy had left while Spencer had also gone home.
When peace returned in the house, Hanna and the other maids sighed in relief.
With Charlotte around, they could feel the previously bleak villa begin to bristle with warmth.
Ben reported Lupine’s condition to Charlotte. “Lupine has woken up in the afternoon, and Morgan brought the three girls to accompany her in the hospital.”
Given how noisy the group was, he dared not speak and instead slipped out of the ward.
Picturing the scene, Charlotte could not help but smile. Morgan was a lot more animated than Lupine. With her around, the atmosphere would definitely be lively.
Because of Morgan's demeanor, the three girls loved to play with her. Naturally, Charlotte assigned her to take care of the children.
Lupine would surely recover a lot faster with them to keep her company.
At that moment, Charlotte began to miss the three girls after not seeing them for a few days. In fact, she felt bad for not spending time when Danrique had entrusted them to her.
However, she could only wait till her own affairs were dealt with before she could focus all her attention on them.
While they were speaking, Charlotte's phone suddenly vibrated. When she saw the caller ID, she answered at once. “Hello, Gordon!"
“Ms. Lindberg, you wanted to talk to me?”
"Yes, how are things at your end? Did you manage to find Danrique?”
“Not yet, but I've confirmed that he’s still alive!”
“Really? That's wonderful!” Charlotte was thrilled. “I knew he would be all right.”
“Now that his enemies are hunting him down, we dare not act hastily. Hence, the only thing we can do now is to bide our time.”
"Yes. You must be careful. You cannot let his enemies find out about his location from your end.”
“I understand. Ms. Lindberg, you take care of yourself too.”
“I know. One more thing...”
"Go on.”
“Do you know where Francesco is?”
“Francesco? He has always been secretive about his movements. Therefore, no one seems to know his location.”
“Does anyone know how to get in touch with him?”
"What happened?”
"Someone extremely important to me is gravely ill. Time is of the essence, and only Francesco can save him. Gordon, please rack your brains. Is there anyone who can contact him?”
“Let me ask Sean. However, I suspect he doesn't know either. Only Mr. Lindberg does.”
“Help me contact Sean first and find out about the details. Also, be quick about it.”
“All right. I'll do so right away and get back to you once I hear from him.”
After ending the call, Charlotte fell dispirited. Gordon and Sean were Danrique’s right-hand men. If even they were not aware of Francesco's location, no one else would be.
Of course, Danrique definitely knew. However, since his whereabouts were unknown, it would be too late by the time he was found.
With that in mind, she began to grow anxious.
“Ms. Lindberg, don't fret yet. I'm sure we can come up with something,” Ben comforted her.
“Time waits for no man.” Looking at the sleeping Zachary, Charlotte pondered for a moment before making a decision. “When he wakes up, I'll have to return to Erihal.”
“Huh?” Stunned, Ben dissuaded her, “Mr. Lindberg had painstakingly removed you from the conflicts of the Lindberg family because he doesn’t want you to be in harm's way. By going back now, aren't you putting your life at risk?”
“I have Danrique's trusted subordinates by my side, so I'll be fine.” Her expression was sullen. "Actually, I'm most worried about the children, especially Danrique’s triplets. He had tasked me with taking care of them, but I have not been doing a good job.”
Chapter 1408
Chapter 1408
Chapter 1408 Waking Up From A Nightmare
"Don’t worry about the children. We will take good care of them,” Ben replied earnestly. “Nevertheless, it's still too dangerous for you to go back to Erihal. I'm sure you know how important you are to Mr. Nacht. If anything happens to you, it will be meaningless even if you found Francesco.”
Charlotte was touched by his words. She never knew how important she was to Zachary.
“In my opinion, we should try and locate Francesco first,” Ben suggested. “Bruce is now in Erihal, so he can take action the moment he receives your instruction. I believe he will be able to bring Francesco back to H City very soon.”
"You don’t know how difficult Francesco is.” Furrowing her eyebrows, Charlotte remarked, “He might look like a doctor on the surface but is actually a mysterious and massively wealthy man. No one knows his true identity. When he was treating me back then, he wore a mask all the time. Hence, even I don't know what he looks like. Furthermore, he’s quite eccentric. Other than my brother, he doesn't respect anyone else. Even if we found him, he may not agree to follow Bruce back to H City."
“Huh?” The news unsettled Ben. “That does sound troublesome.”
“Let's focus on getting a lead first.” Charlotte sighed. “Actually, he might not agree to help even if I see him personally. Unless...”
“Unless what?" he asked frantically.
“Unless Danrique makes the request.” Charlotte held onto a sliver of hope. “As of now, the ideal solution would be to find Danrique first and get him to ask Francesco.”
“But Mr. Lindberg might not be willing to save Zachary.” Ben lacked confidence.
“Begging him to do it is certainly easier than begging Francesco.” Charlotte was still hopeful. “Danrique might seem cold, but he treats me very well, unlike Francesco, who doesn't have a relationship with me. I'm afraid he won't agree to do it on my account. At the same time, I'm not sure if he will make an exception for Dr. Felch’s sake. After all, Dr. Felch was the one who disowned him back then. Moreover, they had not been in touch in the last ten years. Anyhow, we still need to find him first.”
“That's true.” Ben sighed. He had assumed that everything would be solved once they located Francesco. To his dismay, he only realized then that Francesco might not be willing to cooperate. Consequently, the matter was more tricky than he had thought.
“All right now, you must be exhausted after what had happened in the last few days.” Charlotte changed the topic. “You should get some rest while I stay by Zachary's side.”
“Mmbh.” Ben nodded at her before taking his leave.
With that, she remained by Zachary's bedside quietly, grateful that she could still have the chance to do so.
She recalled everything that had happened between them, the ups and downs, the joys and miseries.
By then, Charlotte came to realize how much their past felt like a story.
Regardless, it was all water under the bridge. What mattered was appreciating those who were still in her life.
With that thought in mind, Charlotte laid her head beside Zachary and fell asleep.
Probably because she barely slept over the last four days, including three in which she was kidnapped, she was overwhelmed with exhaustion.
Consequently, she fell into such a deep slumber that she did not even realize Zachary had awoken. Jolted awake from his nightmare, Zachary was covered with cold sweat.
He had dreamt of Charlotte and Louis’ wedding. When he ran into the venue to stop it, Charlotte pointed a gun at him and ordered him to leave.
Meanwhile, Louis fanned the flames by urging Charlotte to pull the trigger.
Nevertheless, Zachary was certain that she would not shoot and tried his best to salvage their relationship by bringing up the children and all the wonderful memories they shared. However, all his pleas for her to return to his side fell on deaf ears.
Finally, she vengefully listed all the pain he had brought upon her before proclaiming her love for Louis. She insisted on marrying him and demanded Zachary to get lost.
In the heat of the moment, she mercilessly fired a shot at his chest.
And that was the moment he woke up.
Chapter 1409
Chapter 1409
Chapter 1409 Her Hug
The room was covered in darkness, with the dim emergency light on the ground as the only source of illumination.
When Zachary opened his eyes, he stared blankly at the ceiling. The scenes from his dream were still replaying his mind.
In his dream, Charlotte was cruel and heartless. The frosty expression and the hateful gaze she had looked extremely frightening.
Zachary felt as if someone was crushing his heart. The pain was so excruciating that he could barely breathe.
Gradually, the pain turned into hatred, causing him to clench his fists. It was as though he would strangle Charlotte to death if she appeared before him.
However, he realized that something was pressing on his arms, causing them to feel heavy and numb. In fact, he could not even lift them.
While trying desperately to move his arms, he turned to look and was shocked by what he saw.
Am I dreaming? Is... Is that Charlotte? Why is she here?
Although Charlotte's face was buried in her arms, Zachary recognized her easily from the contours of her head and body.
Having shared a bed with her many times in the past, he was extremely familiar with her form and scent.
Hence, he was certain it was her without needing to see her face.
Furrowing his eyebrows, he began to replay the intimate act between her and Louis.
In his video call with Ben, he saw them embracing each other, dressed in provocative clothing.
That scene caused his blood to boil, and he almost burst a blood vessel.
Why is she here now? Could there be something wrong with my memory? Could it be that I didn't call Ben and she wasn't together with Louis? Was I unconscious for a long time, and she had returned from Mount Phoenix?
Zachary quickly cast that thought aside. He clearly remembered the video call, and every scene of it was etched on his mind.
I couldn't have been mistaken, but why is she here now?
While he pondered the question, Charlotte shifted in her sleep and turned her face toward him before falling back asleep.
As he stared at her gorgeous face, emotions raged in his heart. They cycled through resentment, rage, doubt, confusion, and discontentment.
Overwhelmed with anger and impulsiveness, he felt like pulling her up and demanding to know why she cheated and betrayed him
However, the moment he moved his hand, he felt agonizing pain shooting up his body.
At the same time, Charlotte was awakened by his movements. After sitting up abruptly, she stared at him in shock. When she finally regained her senses, she exclaimed, "Y-You're awake!"
Extending her hand to touch his face, she asked anxiously, “How do you feel? Do you feel pain anywhere? I'll get the doctor at once.”
Just as she spoke, she reached for the button, but he held her hand back.
His arms were feeble, so he could only tug at one of her fingers. “N-No need,” Zachary uttered with much difficulty.
Scrutinizing him intently, Charlotte heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that he was fine. “Are you really okay?”
Zachary struggled to shake his head.
“That's great!” Hugging him tightly, Charlotte choked out beside his ear, “You gave me a fright. I thought you were never going to wake up.”
Her hug brought him a sense of warmth and familiarity.
Zachary was suddenly befuddled. It felt as if they had returned to the time when they were still madly in love with each other.
However, he quickly regained his senses when reminded of the heart-wrenching scene.
Wriggling to free himself from her embrace, he murmured, “Y-You and—"
“What's wrong? Am I hugging you too tightly?”
Charlotte quickly let him go as she thought her forceful hug was causing him discomfort. She then gently held his face and comforted him, “You need to get some proper rest. The doctor said you can only get out of bed after three days of bed rest.”
Chapter 1410
Chapter 1410
Chapter 1410 Be Honest With Him
Zachary looked at her with knitted eyebrows, questions running in his mind.
Why is she acting as though nothing had happened? It's as if time had stopped at the hospital where both of us were still on good terms. But she had obviously gone to see Louis, and even... “All right. Time to sleep.” Charlotte took off her jacket and slipped underneath the quilt beside Zachary. She even yawned out of exhaustion. “I'm beat—I haven't slept a wink for four days.”
With that, she stuck close to him like a little kitten and gradually dozed off.
However, Zachary was still staring at her intently. His mind constantly reminded him of how she deceived and betrayed him, and he should not forgive her.
However, his body subconsciously adjusted itself so that she could sleep more comfortably.
When Charlotte was about to nuzzle up against him instinctively, she suddenly remembered his injury and moved backward instead. In a daze, she reminded herself. “Mmm, no... I can't stay too close to you, or I'll touch your wound.”
Her gentle purr warmed his heart at once.
Tilting his head, Zachary looked at her and decided to relish that moment despite his puzzlement. Let me indulge in my self-delusion just this once.
Closing his eyes, he gradually drifted off to sleep.
With that, both of them slept in the same bed together.
In the middle of the night, Charlotte constantly cuddled up to Zachary by reflex but quickly backed away when she realized it.
Worried that she would accidentally hurt him, she decided to turn her back toward him instead. After that, she curled up to sleep on the side of the bed.
The sudden distance struck Zachary with a sense of emptiness. Having been woken from his sleep, he struggled to reach out an arm to pull her back into his embrace. Unfortunately, he was too weak to do so. The moment he tried to move, he tugged on his wound, and pain enveloped his entire body.
Zachary retracted his hand in resignation. He then closed his eyes and tried to get back to sleep.
In spite of that, fury continued to simmer in his heart. Hence, he tried to use his leg and a few other methods to pull her closer.
However, whatever he did was futile.
Instead, he began to cough after straining himself.
"What's wrong?” Jolted awake, Charlotte leaned over and put her hand on his forehead. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Raina had instructed her to check on Zachary's temperature constantly. If there was any indication of fever, however low, Charlotte was to inform her at once.
Otherwise, the consequences would be dire.
Therefore, the first thing Charlotte did when she awoke was to feel his forehead and cheeks
“No.” When Zachary saw that she had leaned over, he was secretly delighted. However, that incident still felt like a thorn in his flesh. Seizing the opportunity, he demanded, “Where... did you go... during the last three days?”
Too frail to form a complete sentence smoothly, he could only speak intermittently.
At his question, Charlotte snapped out of her grogginess. After giving it some thought, she explained earnestly, “I was trailed the moment I got off the private jet. After a night of pursuit, I was still captured by that person, who turned out to be Louis...”
Charlotte related everything to Zachary, including how she agreed to pretend to be Louis’ wife for three days. No details were spared.
By the time he heard the whole story, Zachary's face was as black as thunder. Even though the truth was not as bad as he had thought, it was still enough to infuriate him.
Charlotte quickly added, “I know you're furious and that this incident has triggered you. But now, there are two matters that I want to clear up. Firstly, nothing concrete has ever happened between Louis and me. The incident at Arkfield was a plot hatched by Lady Sherlyn. Furthermore, someone masqueraded as me that night. The person who actually slept with Louis was his cousin, Diana.”