Ch. 1481..1490
Chapter 1481 Realizing What Happened
With Nacht Group under control, Charlotte could now relax.
As Nacht Group was influential and had gained a foothold in the corporate world, as long as there was no internal chaos, they could face the outside world together. No one could cause them any harm.
However, there might be some unpredictable changes.
They might be stable now, but no one knew what would happen in the future.
Just as she had told the board members earlier, there should be plenty of rivals planning to make things difficult for Nacht Group.
She dared not let her guard down.
No matter how busy Charlotte was at work, she'd head to the hospital and police station once a day.
Every day, she'd urge the police to find out where Zachary was, but they insisted that he had perished in the fire.
There was nothing else to do but to wait for Ben and Ellie to regain consciousness before they could get more clues.
Ben was injured badly and wouldn't be regaining consciousness for the time being. Hence, Ellie was their only hope, but she remained comatose.
No matter how anxious Charlotte was, she had to regain her composure back at home to comfort Jamie and Robbie. They had been wallowing in sorrow after the incident.
This was especially so for Robbie, who locked himself in his own room and refused to see anyone. Charlotte had wanted to give him some time to calm down, but he had been staying in his room for four days. Worried, she decided to knock on his door after coming home that night.
“Robbie, it's Mommy!"
Silence greeted her.
Concerned, Charlotte continued saying, “Robbie, I'm coming in.”
Having said that, she pushed the door open and headed in.
To her surprise, the room was well lit. Robbie was seated before his desk with a pair of noise- canceling headphones covering his ears. He was typing on his keyboard furiously as though he were a workaholic.
There were no signs of despair, sorrow, or even negativity, for he was busy thinking of a solution. Charlotte felt her heart ache at the sight.
“Mommy!” Sensing her presence, Robbie looked up and removed his headphones hastily. “Why are you here? Did you receive news about Daddy? How are Mr. Ben and Ellie doing?”
Charlotte hugged him tight and replied in a choking voice, “Daddy will return for sure. Ellie and Mr. Ben will also recover soon.”
“Mm, I know.” Robbie gave a firm nod as determination shone in his eyes. “I'm still finding out where Aunt Francey is. Though there are no updates for now, I'm sure I'll get to it. As long as I can locate Aunt Francey, Daddy will be saved when he gets back.”
"Robbie"—Charlotte inhaled sharply before cupping his cheeks gently— “Mommy will take care of it. This is not your responsibility.”
“But I want to contribute,” Robbie insisted, his eyes bloodshot. “I'll only wallow in despair if I don't do anything...”
Charlotte was at a loss for words. She felt her heart aching for him.
“Mommy, don’t worry about me. I'm fine.” Robbie wiped her tears away softly. “I know you're busy and tired, but you must take good care of yourself. Don't get sick.”
“Mm.” Charlotte nodded.
“Jamie and I want to hold a wake for Little Fifi. We've been in a daze for the past few days before coming to the realization that Little Fifi died to save Ellie. We're very upset...” Robbie trailed off and burst into tears.
His brave front had disappeared.
Just then, Jamie walked in and flung his arms around Charlotte. He wailed, “Little Fifi's gone, Mommy. It's gone for real!”
It took them a few days to realize Little Fifi had left them for real.
Chapter 1482 Taking Action
"Jamie"—Charlotte wrapped her arms around him in a comforting manner— “Little Fifi was born the same year as you, and it's seven this year. As an elderly bird, it was a courageous bird that had sacrificed itself to save Ellie and went to heaven earlier than expected. I believe Little Fifi will end up as a little angel in heaven.”
“Mm.” Jamie sobbed pitifully. “Can we hold a wake for it?"
"Of course you can.” Charlotte bobbed her head. “But I think you should wait for Ellie to wake up before holding the wake.”
"How is Ellie doing? When will she wake up?” Jamie asked.
“She's not badly hurt. Little Fifi and Fifi did their best to protect her,” Charlotte said, trying hard to be optimistic. “I believe she'll regain consciousness soon. We just need to give her some time.”
“All right!” Both Jamie and Robbie nodded vehemently. “Can we visit Ellie and Mr. Ben at the hospital tomorrow?”
"Sure. I'll ask Morgan to bring you there,” she promised while patting their heads dearly. “Now, be good and go wash your hands. Let's have dinner together downstairs. From today onward, you will eat your meals on time with the girls so they won't be scared, okay?”
"Okay!" Jamie and Robbie replied in unison.
Seeing how obedient and strong they were, she felt relieved.
After calming them down, she went and had fun with the girls.
The girls had been obedient for the past few days, a far cry from their usual craziness. They would play with toys in the playroom quietly, watch a cartoon, or read books without kicking up a fuss. Knowing that Charlotte was busy dealing with a crisis, they dared not bother her and their cousins. When Charlotte came to spend time with them, they comforted her and said, “Don’t worry, Aunt Charlotte. We're finding Daddy and Mommy. They will be here to help soon.”
“Thank you, girls.” Charlotte paid no heed to their words, as they were merely kids. “All right, my darlings. I need to get back to work. Be good and go to bed. Tomorrow, if you're bored, ask Jade to accompany you to pick some grapes.”
"Okay, Aunt Charlotte. You should get some rest!”
The girls watched Charlotte leave before huddling together for a discussion.
"Alpha, Beta, should we summon Mommy now?"
"Yes, I think it's time. Look how upset Aunt Charlotte is. Robbie and Jamie have locked themselves in their rooms, and Ellie is hurt. I feel bad for them...”
“Aunt Charlotte, Uncle Zachary, and our cousins love us. We need to do something for them.” “Let's take action tonight.”
“l agree.”
Meanwhile, Charlotte returned to her study room and buried herself in work.
Back when Zachary was feeling unwell, work had piled up. Now that he was missing, a lot of projects were waiting to start earlier than planned, so Charlotte had a lot to deal with.
She had been working nonstop for the past few days, but work never seemed to end. However, the continuous work allowed her to forget the pain and become stronger.
“Mrs. Nacht...” Hanna knocked on the door before coming in with a tray of food. “You haven't eaten a proper meal in days. Have something to eat before resuming work.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Rawlston,” came Charlotte's answer. She didn’t even bother looking up as she flipped through the file in her hand.
“Your health will suffer if this goes on,” Hanna said in a sympathetic tone. “If you get sick, what about the children? What about your family? And what will happen to the company?”
“All right.” Charlotte put down the file and got up. Right when she stood up, her head went dizzy, and she collapsed to the ground.
Chapter 1483 A Mysterious Call
“Mrs. Nacht!” Hanna held her hastily. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, Ms. Lindberg!” Lupine happened to walk in and witnessed the scene.
She immediately led Charlotte to rest on the couch.
“Hurry, have some medicinal broth.” Hanna came over with the bow! of broth she had prepared. Her eyes turning red, she asked, “Are you exhausted, or are you starving and suffering from low blood sugar?”
“Both, I suppose.”
After Lupine fed Charlotte some of the medicinal broth, the latter's cheeks turned rosy.
"Stop doing this!” Lupine huffed. “As a human being, you need to rest! Many of us are injured. Do you want to add on to the list?”
“All right. Cut the crap,” Charlotte replied weakly.
“I don't care. You have to rest tonight!” Lupine declared, her eyes turning red. “Otherwise, I'll inform the children!”
“You're bold enough to threaten me now, huh?” Charlotte remarked, covering her heating forehead lazily.
“Listen to us, Mrs. Nacht. Eat something and go to bed.” Hanna brought something over. “Here, have some oatmeal.”
Charlotte had to give in to them and sipped on the oatmeal slowly. Underneath their watchful gazes, she returned to her room to take a hot shower before going to bed.
Yes, she was exhausted, but she was afraid of going to bed.
Every time she closed her eyes, the image of Zachary struggling helplessly in the fire would pop up. That thought alone would make her go crazy.
“Have a good rest. You're tired and need some sleep.” Lupine sat beside her to keep her company. “Don’t think too much and close your eyes.”
Closing her eyes, Charlotte gradually drifted off to sleep.
Lupine carefully brushed her hair away from her cheeks before pulling up the covers for her. She then sat aside patiently.
Hanna set down a thermos flask and said in a low voice, “There's some tea inside. If Mrs. Nacht feels unwell after waking up, she can have some.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Rawlston. You can leave now," Lupine thanked her gratefully before sending her out. Exhaustion caught up to Charlotte, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.
Lupine covered herself in a blanket and made herself comfortable on the couch. As she recalled the recent events, her heart sank in despair. She felt utterly powerless.
Danger is lurking all around, so Charlotte is barely hanging on. It's just the beginning. If she collapses now, what will happen next?
She was deep in thought when her phone began vibrating. Pulling it out, she frowned at the sight of an unknown number. However, she still headed to the bathroom to answer it. “Hello?”
“It's me,” came a deep and cold voice.
“Mr. Lindberg!”
Lupine nearly jolted in fright, but she hurriedly covered her mouth and turned at her shoulder. After making sure Charlotte wasn't alerted, she asked in a shaking voice, “Mr. Lindberg, it's you? A- Are you all right?”
“I'm fine,” came Danrique’s curt reply.
ow
He cut in, “Listen, don't tell Charlotte I called.”
"Yes, yes.” Lupine nodded.
“I have a few questions for you. Be honest with me.”
"Sure!"
“Is Zachary Nacht really dead?”
“Well...” Lupine hesitated before answering honestly, “I'm not sure. After the fire, the police didn't find him at the scene. They said a fire happened in the room, ignited by a poisonous substance. It supposedly can burn a man to ashes, so...”
"A poisonous substance?” Danrique murmured.
"Yes, that was stated by the police. They suspected that Mr. Nacht had perished in the fire, but Ms. Lindberg refused to buy their account. She thinks he’s still alive.”
Chapter 1484 Little Savior
"Did Charlotte take over Nacht Group?” Danrique queried.
“Yes,” came Lupine’s honest reply. “Before that incident, Mr. Nacht had transferred his shares and assets to Ms. Lindberg and the children. He even introduced her to the shareholders and upper management of Divine Corporation ahead of time. After he went missing, the headquarter had tried to find fault with her. There was a board meeting this afternoon to put her in a tight spot, but Ms. Lindberg dealt with it easily. Now, everyone has agreed to work together to get through this.” "Are the children all right?” Danrique asked. This was his third question.
“Ellie got hurt. Jamie and Robbie were scared out of their wits. They aren't doing well after what happened in their house, but the girls are fine. They were in Northridge with us when that incident happened.”
"Okay," Danrique answered. “If there's a crisis, contact Sean.”
“Mr. Lindberg—" Before Lupine could say anything further, Danrique had already hung up.
With her phone in her palm, Lupine felt excited. At least Mr. Lindberg is still alive. He's also concerned about Ms. Lindberg. But what does his last order mean?
“If there's a crisis, contact Sean,” she repeated to herself.
That means we shouldn't bother him if there isn't a crisis. If it's a serious issue, contact Sean. That must be it!
At once, Lupine felt more confident. Though Mr. Lindberg hasn't taken action yet, at least he is on her side. If Ms. Lindberg is in trouble, he'll definitely take action.
She beamed, her fear all gone.
However, Lupine had no idea what had happened ten minutes earlier in the playroom.
The three girls huddled together and shone their flashlights on a smartwatch before dialing a number with much difficulty.
“Are you sure we can find Mommy?”
“Before she left, she said we can call this number if we run into trouble.”
“But we aren't in trouble.”
"Aunt Charlotte is in trouble. We need to protect her!”
“You're right.”
Ring, ring...
They waited anxiously for the call to be answered.
Alpha said, “We didn't call her when we missed her. Will she pick up?”
“Mommy said we can't call her even if we miss her or cry. We can only call her when we're in trouble.”
"Why isn't she picking up?”
“Hello?” Suddenly, a cold voice answered the call.
“Uh...” The children were stunned.
“Who is this?"
“It sounds like...”
"Scary Daddy?”
“What's wrong, girls?” A hint of warmth crept into the stern voice.
“Are you our daddy?”
“Of course!”
“Can you prove it?"
"When your mommy gets mad, she'll act like a lion and call you by your full name—Adolpha Lindberg, Bethany Lindberg, and Gamarra Lindberg.”
“Oh, it really is our daddy!”
“Daddy, it's me, Alpha!”
“I'm Beta!”
“I'm Gamma!"
"Did Mommy leave this number to you?” Danrique asked.
No one else knows this number, not even Charlotte. She's the only exception.
"Yep. Before Mommy left, she said we can call this number if we run into trouble...”
"What happened? What trouble did you run into?” Danrique quickly asked.
"We're fine. It's Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Zachary who ran into trouble. And also Ellie...”
The children explained what happened slowly. In the end, they implored, “Daddy, can you please help Aunt Charlotte? We feel sad for her. Can you help her find Uncle Zachary?”
Chapter 1485 I Am The Only One
Danrique fell silent at their pleas. Some time later, he asked, “Uh, did Uncle Zachary treat you well?" “Yes, he is awesome!” Alpha nodded. “Uncle Zachary told us stories, prepared breakfast for us, taught us how to ride a horse, and even brought us to have fun in the woods!"
"We even took a family portrait with Uncle Zachary!” Beta chimed in. “When we got tired, Uncle Zachary hoisted us up to his shoulders! He's as tall as a mountain. We're not afraid at all because I can hold on to his hair."
“I held on to his ears so I wouldn't fall down,” Gamma said. “Even if we fall down, he'll catch us.” “Right!” Alpha nodded fervently. “Ellie said they used to sit on Uncle Zachary's shoulders when they were young. They are used to it.”
“Uncle Zachary's shoulders are wide, so I won't fall!” the children chattered excitedly. “Uncle Zachary has a nice voice. He looks handsome when he tells us stories. He—"
"Okay, okay. That's enough!” Danrique interjected. “Since it's nothing, go to bed. Children need to sleep more to grow up to be clever adults.”
Though he seemed unfazed, he felt uncomfortable deep down to hear his children praising his arch- enemy happily.
Is Zachary Nacht really that great? Charlotte loves him, and now the girls have been conquered. “Daddy! Daddy, you haven't said yes yet!” The kids didn’t forget what their mission was. “Please help Aunt Charlotte find Uncle Zachary! Pretty please!”
“All right. Go to bed. I'll hang up now.” Danrique cut the line without hesitation.
The children pouted unhappily in the dark as they whispered among themselves.
"Was that a yes?”
“I don't think so.”
“I think so.”
"Jeez..."
Danrique stared at his phone for some time before dialing Lupine’s number.
And that was how Lupine had received his phone call.
Of course, she had no idea it was all the girls’ doing. If it weren't for them, Danrique wouldn't have called her.
Though it didn’t seem that Danrique was about to do anything, he promptly relayed his orders after ending the call with Lupine. “Did you find her?”
“Not yet, Mr. Lindberg. Dr. Felch is nowhere to be seen after she sneaked away a few days ago. We can't contact her.”
“Did she go to the kids? I know how much she misses them...”
“The kids haven't seen her until now.”
"Well... Go find her. You must get her to come back.”
“Even if I manage to find her, she may not come back with me,” Sean muttered to himself. “You know how stubborn Ms. Felch can be..."
"Just say that I need to talk to her.” Danrique furrowed his brows.
“But she may not listen to me.” Sean seemed stumped. “Back when I went to her, she stabbed my acupuncture point and made me cry. I've never been humiliated in such a way.”
“Wouldn't you put your guard up?” Danrique hissed.
“She was too quick!” Sean's expression fell. “She gets irritated easily and takes action when things aren't going her way. Before I realized it—"
“She gets irritated easily? Says who?" Danrique glared at him, menace visible in his gaze.
“I-l mean... I deserve to get beaten up...”
“That's right. I'm the only one who's allowed to criticize her. No one else can say bad things about her!”
“Understood, Mr. Lindberg!”
Chapter 1486 A Mysterious Car
"Well, what are you still standing there for?”
“I'm sorry, Mr. Lindberg. I'll look for her now!”
Sean immediately scurried away to look for Francesca.
Truth be told, none of them were confident of convincing her.
Though Francesca was petite, she was no pushover.
Mr. Lindberg was the reason she left in a huff. Isn't he asking us to seek death by searching for her? Francesca Felch is full of tricks. She'll definitely pull pranks on us! Ugh, I really don’t want to look for her.
Sean's face scrunched up in worry at the thought, but he had no choice but to carry out Danrique’s order.
I'll have to find her no matter what, as per Mr. Lindberg's order. When will the rain stop, though? Back in Northridge, the rain battered down as tree branches slammed against the windows noisily. Charlotte jolted awake from a nightmare. Cold sweat had formed on her forehead.
“Ms. Lindberg, are you all right?” Lupine immediately went over to her.
“I dreamt about Zachary,” Charlotte revealed, panting heavily. She stared at the ceiling as tears wetted her lashes. “I dreamt that he was heavily wounded and was struggling in the fire. He even told me that he was in pain...”
Her entire being was trembling as fat tears rolled down her cheeks.
“It's fine. Oh, it's fine. It's just a dream.” Lupine patted her back and offered her a cup of tea. “Here, have some tea to calm down.”
Charlotte refused to drink and covered her face. She couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks.
“Ms. Lindberg..."
As Lupine was about to reveal Danrique’s secret, someone knocked on the door. “Ms. Lindberg, Ms. Elisa has regained consciousness.”
“Ellie!” Charlotte got to her feet at once. “We need to go to the hospital now!”
“But it's raining heavily. Should we—"
"We need to go now. Prepare the car,” Charlotte urged. “Ellie is afraid of the dark. She'll cry if I'm not with her.”
"Got it.” Lupine immediately got to work. “Wake Morgan up so she can drive.”
"Okay."
In the middle of the night, they sped toward the hospital.
Morgan was back for her shift, and she drove them to the hospital.
Her presence made them feel safe.
“Ms. Lindberg, don’t worry. Ellie will be fine,” Morgan assured. “I've been taking care of Ellie every day, and she’s recovering swiftly.”
“Drive faster,” Charlotte commanded.
"Yes, Ms. Lindberg.” Morgan stepped on the accelerator.
The winding road was dangerous, especially on a day when it was raining cats and dogs. Normal people wouldn't dare to drive on such days, but Morgan was experienced enough to remain calm. She had to control the speed to prevent slipping and falling down the cliff.
Morgan was familiar with the road, and she was professional enough to speed up and be in control. When they were about to reach the foot of the hill, a black car that didn’t switch on its headlights suddenly came at them. Shocked, Morgan immediately swerved out of its way.
“Damn it!" she cursed under her breath. “If I wasn't fast enough, we would be dead by now.”
“Calm down,” Lupine reminded with a frown.
“I know,” Morgan answered. She glanced through the rearview mirror and commented, “I can't believe the driver didn't switch on the headlights on such a treacherous hill.”
"Why would a car head up the hill at this hour?” Lupine’s frown deepened as she stared at the car behind them.
“There are only two villas up there, and a manor near the foot of the hill. There's also a club at the foot. Who could that be?”
"Could it be Nancy Gold's men?” Morgan guessed. “She never gave up on finding Mr. Nacht.” Instead of answering her, Charlotte ordered, "Go check it out.”
"Yes, Ms. Lindberg.” Lupine got to work at once.
Chapter 1487 Worried
Once they arrived at the hospital, Charlotte got down from the car in a haste. Before she reached Ellie's ward, she could hear the child's fearful cries from afar.
Rushing in, she gave Ellie a tight hug. “Ellie, don't be afraid. Mommy's here. I'm right here...” “Mommy!” Ellie was shaking in her arms.
"Good girl, Ellie. You're fine now. It's all right. Mommy's here. No one can hurt you.” Charlotte patted her back gently to comfort her.
Before long, Ellie finally calmed down and dozed off.
Raina revealed in a low voice, “The drug must be causing her sleepiness. She'll be fine a couple of days later.”
"How about her wounds?” Charlotte inquired. “Her voice sounded hoarse.”
"Her throat is a little infected after she took in too much of the poisonous smoke. She'll be fine after getting some rest,” Raina replied. “There are no big issues. It's only a mild concussion.”
“I think she’s traumatized,” Charlotte said, staring at Ellie worriedly.
"Yes, she is,” came Raina’s answer. “I've arranged for some psychologists to examine her the next time she wakes up.”
"Okay." Charlotte sat beside the bed. “You can leave now. I'll keep Ellie company.”
“All right. I'll go check on Ben. Call me if anything happens.”
“I...” Lupine hesitated.
“Leave with her. We're fine here.” Charlotte knew what was on her mind
“I'll stay with Ms. Lindberg,” Morgan offered. “Go, Lupine.”
"Stay with her. Don't leave her alone,” Lupine instructed.
“Of course.”
Lupine left with Raina, while Morgan stayed with Charlotte.
Charlotte switched off the lights, leaving behind a dim yellow light just so she could keep an eye on Ellie. Her heart was overwhelmed with anguish and guilt.
Gently, she held Ellie's tiny hands to give her warmth
It was four in the morning, and Charlotte should be exhausted by now, but she couldn't sleep a wink. Keeping Ellie company made her feel better.
Time trickled by, and the sun eventually came out.
Lupine returned to report, “Our men sent back word that the car belonged to the restaurant at the foot of the hill. There's nothing suspicious about it.”
“Fine, then.” Charlotte didn't dwell on the matter. “Prepare to head to the company.”
“It's still early. Aren't you heading back to get some rest?” Lupine asked with concern.
“I'm fine.” Charlotte's brows knitted together. “There is too much work for me to relax. I can't sleep well. I'll rest when everything comes to an end.”
“But your health—"
“Stop it,” Charlotte cut her off. “Morgan, let's go to my office. Lupine, stay here at the hospital.” ow
"Yes, Ms. Lindberg,” Morgan answered hastily.
Though Lupine felt uneasy, she dared not disobey Charlotte's order.
Her heart ached at how Charlotte was putting others before her until now.
She knows I'm worried about Ben. That's why she switched my shift with Morgan's shift so I can stay in the hospital. Though it seems like a task, she’s actually being kind.
Right then, Raina had arrived with the psychologists. “Ms. Lindberg, I've made the arrangements. Once Ellie regains consciousness, they'll start counseling her. Don't worry. But during the session, it's better to have someone to stay with her.”
“But I—"
Charlotte was about to explain that she was heading to work when two familiar voices rang out. “Mommy!”
Robbie and Jamie ran in with Ellie's favorite plushie.
"We'll keep Ellie company. You should get some rest,” Robbie said gently. “It's still early, so you can take a nap and go back to work in the afternoon.”
“Yes, Mommy. Don't exhaust yourself.” Jamie hugged her. “We'll be worried if you get sick.”
Chapter 1488 Evil Woman
“All right.” Charlotte nodded. "Robbie, Jamie, I'll leave Ellie with you guys.”
"Okay." The boys nodded as well. “Don't worry, Mommy. We'll take good care of Ellie.”
Charlotte embraced her two children lovingly before leaving with Morgan and the rest.
She had to deal with many matters at the corporation that day, so she could not afford to waste any more time. Besides, she had to press the police for an update. It had been four days since Zachary's disappearance, but there was still no news about him. On top of that, the nightmare she had from the night before made her feel extremely unsettled.
Charlotte had a lot on her plate, be it the company or her family. Everything was dependent on her. She was as busy as a bee every day, but the tasks seemed to be endless.
Even in the car, she had to go through documents.
Suddenly, the car came to an abrupt halt. Morgan yelled, “Do they have a death wish or something?”
“It looks like Ms. Gold's car.” Emma, sitting in the front passenger seat, remarked.
At her utterance, Charlotte raised her head and looked ahead. Indeed, Nancy's car was blocking the way, and she seemed furious.
"She's crazy! What is she trying do?”
Morgan's hot temper remained the same. Nothing about her changed.
At that moment, Nancy came out of her car, strode toward them, and knocked on the window. Charlotte pressed on the window switch. As the window lowered, she looked at her glacially. “Charlotte, you'll suffer retribution for what you've done.” Nancy forced out those words through gritted teeth. “You are thoroughly black-hearted!”
"What are you talking about?” Charlotte knitted her eyebrows.
“You're still pretending, huh?” Nancy sneered as she stared her down. “Never mind. Your true colors will be exposed soon enough. Just you wait!"
After shooting her a nasty look, she turned and stormed off.
"She's crazy,” Morgan spat. “What the heck was she even talking about?”
“Ignore her. Let's go.” Charlotte did not want to delay further.
“Okay.” Morgan started the engine and drove off.
As the car continued to head toward the company, Charlotte had her head lowered, focused on reading the documents. Yet, an inexplicable sense of dread crept into her heart as she recalled Nancy's words.
That can't be right. Although Nancy dislikes me, she’s not the kind of person that will make baseless accusations. What did she mean earlier? Is there a reason behind her outburst?
At that thought, she immediately took out her phone, planning to ask someone to investigate the matter. Coincidently, Lucy called her.
“Ms. Lindberg, something bad has happened. Please check out the news now.”
“What news?"
While replying to her through the Bluetooth earpiece, Charlotte checked the messages on the tablet in which she saw the plethora of links sent by Lucy. The moment she opened them, her face turned pale.
Evil Woman Killed Her Ex For Money.
Fallen Heiress Took Revenge On Her Ex—Arson And Homicide.
Only By Being Ruthless Can Women Secure Their Position.
There was a multitude of weirdly worded headlines, which seemed to be insinuating something. Charlotte clicked in and found that the contents were all directed toward her.
Some said that she burned down the Nacht residence and killed Zachary right before their wedding ceremony because she coveted the assets of the Nacht family.
Others claimed that she returned to take revenge on the Nacht family, so she seduced Zachary only to kill him afterward.
Some even suggested that she conspired with her lover to kill Zachary. As of then, she had seized the assets of the Nacht family and even became the new president of Nacht Group.
In short, there was a variety of rumors, and all of them suggested that Charlotte killed Zachary for the assets of the Nacht family.
Some even provided evidence, analyzing the incident as if they knew the truth.
The photo of Charlotte and Michael was even released, claiming that he was her lover.
Charlotte frowned. Everything was fine yesterday, but today, all hell is breaking loose. Who's the one responsible for this?
Chapter 1489 They Came Prepared
“It's preposterous!” Emma, too, started browsing the news on her phone. Fuming with anger, she said, “Ms. Lindberg is doing all she can to support the Nacht family. How can they say this?” “Someone must be behind all these.” Morgan leaned over to glance at the news and was instantly riled by them. “Could it be Nancy Gold's doing?” she suggested.
“She has to be the main suspect,” Emma spat. “It can't be anyone else.”
“I don't think it's her.” Charlotte kept her cool and analyzed the situation. “If she’s the culprit, then it doesn’t make sense for her to come all the way to scold me.”
Though she was not fond of Nancy, she felt that the latter truly loved Zachary. Nancy must be more concerned about his safety, so there was no need for her to complicate the situation by releasing those fake news.
If it isn't her, then who else would do such a thing? Ever since Zachary went missing, some conglomerate businesses have been plotting to gain control of Nacht Group. Could it be them? While Charlotte was deep in thought, her phone rang again. That time around, it was Johann who called. She immediately answered the call. “Mr. Sterk.”
“Charlotte, the stock price is plunging.” Johann went straight to the point. “I think there's a need for you to explain the situation in a press conference. Or else, our stock price will hit rock bottom, and we'll suffer massive losses.”
“I'll be arriving at the company shortly. Let's discuss face to face there,” she responded decisively. “Sure.”
After ending the call, Charlotte checked the stock market. Indeed, the stock price of Nacht Group was crashing. Evidently, the ongoing discussions on the internet had left a profound impact. Moreover, the rumors suddenly emerged in the morning, with almost every well-known media company producing the same content simultaneously. Not only were the headlines eye-catching, but they were also spreading like wildfire. Everything seemed so organized and well-prepared. Usually, the media dared not cross Nacht Group. However, considering the involvement of so many media companies, Charlotte had reasons to suspect that a highly influential person was pulling the strings.
Then, Spencer called, and she immediately answered, “Hi, Mr. Spencer.”
“Charlotte, you must handle the issue with great care. Find out who did this as soon as possible! Based on my experience, this matter will only get worse if not dealt with immediately.”
“I know that, Mr. Spencer. I'm dealing with it right now.”
"We've put in a lot of effort to persuade the board of directors yesterday, and yet, this happened There must be someone behind this. Do you have any suspect?”
“I can’t think of one at the moment. I'll investigate it.”
"Okay. Be quick. I've been receiving calls the whole day. The shareholders have been looking for me, so I'll go and deal with them first.”
“Sure.”
Just as Charlotte put down the phone, Michael called. Frustrated by the endless calls, she frowned. “Michael.”
“Charlotte, what's going on? Why did I become your lover?”
“I'm not sure. I'm investigating it now.” Charlotte almost let out a sigh. “Now, I can only say for sure that they're coming after me. You just happened to be dragged into this mess.”
“No, no, that's not what I meant. I don't mind getting involved in this. I'm not really affected since I'm all alone. More importantly, you're in the center of the storm. Please be careful.”
“I know. I'll deal with it. I'm sorry, Michael.”
“Don’t worry about it. Let me know if you need my help. I'm always available.”
“Mmm, got it.”
Once the call ended, Charlotte massaged her temples to soothe her headache. In the meantime, they had arrived at the company's building. At the sight of their car, a group of journalists swarmed toward them.
“Such annoying people!”
Morgan's expression darkened.
She wanted to chase the group away, but the security guards forestalled her and dispersed the crowd.
Morgan immediately drove the car toward the parking lot in the basement.
Charlotte looked at the time. It's only nine in the morning, yet the journalists have already gathered here. The mastermind sure has come up with a well-formulated plan.
Chapter 1490 Final Nail In The Coffin
When Charlotte arrived on level 68, Johann, Lucy, and the upper management of Divine Corporation were already waiting for her.
After a discussion with Johann, they decided to hold a press conference the next afternoon, and Lucy would announce the event to the public.
However, Johann was still anxious. “Judging from the situation, I think the media companies have been bribed. What if they refuse to listen to your explanation and solely condemn you? How should we deal with it?"
“Have the legal team join the press conference.” Charlotte came up with a decision without hesitation. “We'll speak with evidence. Record the attendance of all the media companies. Should there be any attempt to defame me, we'll issue a letter of demand immediately.”
“That's a great way to do it.” He nodded and said, “I've sent someone to investigate the matter. Let's hope we'll find out the culprit soon enough.”
“Come to think of it, to be courageous enough to go against Nacht Group openly, the person behind this must be some formidable force.” A deep frown creased her forehead.
"Who can it be?” Johann could not wrap his head around the situation. “I really can't think of anyone.”
“Let's put this aside for now. Get ready for the press conference instead.” Compared to him, Charlotte was more levelheaded. “We'll take it one step at a time.”
“All right.”
Johann left afterward.
Charlotte was prepared to go through the documents when Lucy came to report to her. “Ms. Lindberg, a new rumor has been released.”
"What is it about?” Charlotte was still flipping the pages.
“This time, they've gotten Mr. Lindberg involved. He's accused of being the mastermind of your revenge plan...” Lucy said in a soft voice.
That made Charlotte stop looking through the documents. Extending her hand, she took the tablet from Lucy. Rage colored her features as she scrolled through the page.
The rumors claimed that the downfall of Lindberg Corporation was due to Danrique’s mismanagement and that he had instructed Charlotte to target Nacht Group because he lacked the resources to rebuild their family’s legacy.
At the same time, they also listed out examples and pieces of evidence that showed how Lindberg Corporation plotted against Nacht Group in the past. The article was written in a convincing fashion, and one would easily believe that it was the truth.
Fury blazed up within Charlotte after she read everything.
This is too much! It's one thing to accuse me, but to drag Danrique into this! Danrique is a principled man. He's not the kind of person that will covet things that don't belong to him. Heck, he might not even accept them even if they were presented to him as a gift!
“This article went viral, and many netizens believe it.” While observing her expression, Lucy uttered cautiously, “Now, many media companies are trying to get in touch with our public relations department, hoping to get updates.”
Charlotte was enraged, but she remained rational. Putting down the tablet, she replied calmly, “We'll deal with this at tomorrow's press conference.”
“But...” Lucy looked at her worriedly. “New rumors keep sprouting. If we wait till tomorrow, the stock price of Nacht Group may—"
“What do you mean by new rumors?” Charlotte was exasperated.
“Just a minute ago, there's another article...”
Lucy's voice trailed off, for she was too afraid to continue the sentence.
"What is it about?” Charlotte asked impatiently.
“L-Look at it yourself.” Lucy opened up a link on the tablet.
Charlotte took over the tablet. Upon reading the content, she flew into a rage. Slamming her fist on the table, she stood up and roared, “What the f*ck!”
The article claimed that Robbie, Jamie, and Ellie were not Zachary's children but Danrique’s. Attached to the post were photos of the three children, and the author claimed that they all looked like Danrique but not Zachary.
However, the post omitted the relationship between Charlotte and Danrique, giving the readers the wrong impression while stirring up ripples of suspense.
Nevertheless, it was like the final nail in the coffin, thwarting Charlotte's plans to clear her name.
If she could not furnish any solid evidence, then the matter might be beyond salvaging
However, Zachary had gone missing, and Henry was dead. Even if she wanted to perform a DNA test, she could not find anyone to prove her children’s biological relationship with the Nacht family.