Ch. 1721..1730

Chapter 1721: Laughing Out Loud

For some reason, the atmosphere in the room immediately turned cold when Danrique sat down. Suddenly, the joyful laughter had vanished as the children became tense, and Francesca appeared to be somewhat uneasy.

To remedy the awkwardness, Charlotte quickly lifted her glass. “It's not every day that we get to have dinner together like this, so I'd like to propose a toast!”

Zachary then lifted his glass as well to join in. Naturally, he had a non-alcoholic beverage in it. After Francesca and the children, too, lifted their glasses and cups, they tuned to look at Danrique, who had no choice but to follow suit.

“This is just wonderful! How I wish we could gather like this more often! Cheers, guys!” exclaimed Charlotte

“Cheers!”

After clinking their glasses and cups, everybody gladly took a sip of their drink, except for Danrique, who nobody wanted to clink their drinkware with.

Zachary was about to start eating when he noticed how disappointed Danrique seemed, so he hurriedly extended his glass to the man.

At first, Danrique was a little reluctant, but he eventually responded in kind anyway.

The two then quietly took a sip of their drink.

"Okay. Let the feast begin!” announced Charlotte excitedly.

Zachary started chatting with the children while they ate. “So what did you guys play just now? The swing? The slide?”

“The swing!” answered Alpha with her hand raised. “Jamie pushed me so high up that I could touch the sky! It was really fun!”

"I played the slide, but I was a little scared because you weren't there to catch me,” uttered Beta in her childish voice.

“I'll catch you next time, okay?" responded Zachary gently before suggesting, “Or you can always have your daddy catch you.”

The man then glanced at Danrique, who had already lifted his head to look at Beta.

In response, the child meekly shook her head. “No, I don't want Daddy to catch me.”

Surprised, Zachary raised an eyebrow curiously. “Why not? Your father is even taller than I am. I'm sure he's more than capable of catching you, Beta.”

“I'm scared.” Beta quickly curled up in her mother's arms after glancing at Danrique’s hands. "What's the matter? Did Daddy do something?” questioned Francesca.

“Daddy told us a ghost story just now. It was terrifying!” chimed in Alpha.

“He even stretched out his hands to scare us,” Suddenly, Beta's eyes began to tear up.

“I swear that story was horrifying! Even Robbie, Jamie, and Ellie were scared,” added Gamma indignantly.

After hearing all that, Zachary was stunned and did not know how to respond. Did Danrique really tell the kids a ghost story?

"Alpha, Beta, Gamma, I'm sure your father was just fooling around. He wasn't really trying to scare you,” explained Charlotte, trying to smooth things out.

“Yeah. He's probably just messing with you guys,” chimed in Zachary since he would rather not have Francesca fighting with her husband right then and there.

"So what story was it anyway?” Francesca questioned Danrique with an eyebrow raised.

Swirling his wine, Danrique answered without looking at his wife, “What do you think? I only ever know one story.”

“You mean the one about the victim of a car accident losing his hands?” Suddenly, Francesca laughed out loud. “What's so scary about it? It was a ridiculous story!”

Puzzled by Francesca's unusual response, Zachary and Charlotte exchanged looks. “So you've heard of it?”

"Heard of it? I'm the one who told him that story! He was terrified too the first time he heard it,” replied Francesca before continuing to laugh.

Zachary and Charlotte had no idea what else to say next. However, they were convinced that Francesca and Danrique were made for each other. And here we thought she was going to go berserk on Danrique for what the man did. It turned out that she was the one to blame.

 

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort

Chapter 1722: Experience

“Mommy, it was you who told Daddy the story?” The three children were surprised to find out that the supposedly terrifying story originated from Francesca. Then, they started laughing and praising their mother for it. “That's amazing, Mommy!"

“Yeah, Mommy! It's so awesome!”

Danrique tilted his head as he stared at the kids in disbelief. What on earth is going on? I instantly became the bad guy when I told them the story, but now that they found out that the story came from their mother, they're praising her for it?

Francesca patted the children on their heads before pecking them on the cheek. “If you'd like, I can tell you guys more stories like that tonight. My brain is packed full of interesting stories.”

Then, she turned to Robbie, Jamie, and Ellie. “Of course, you three are more than welcome to join us.”

“No, no, no. We're good. We're good.”

With faces as pale as a sheet, Jamie and Ellie immediately shook their heads and hands in response. Meanwhile, Robbie was left utterly speechless by the bewildering turn of events.

"Mommy, we don't need any more stories. We just want to play the slide.”

Actually, Alpha and her siblings just wanted to praise their mother, but they had no intention of listening to more horror stories. In their eyes, their mother was the best mother on earth.

It did not matter what their mother did or was doing; they simply wanted to show support.

"Okay, we'll have fun together later. But now, you have to finish your dinner first. Your Aunt Charlotte has excellent cooking skills. The food she makes is way better than that in Erihal,” promised Francesca with a big smile as she filled the children’s plates with dishes

Looking at how happy Francesca and the girls were, Danrique thought that they had not been so happy when they were with him, and he did not know what he should do to be able to spend quality time with them in such a pleasant ambiance. For some reason, that felt like something impossible for him

“Have some of these, guys. Here's one for Robbie, one for Jamie, and one for Ellie,” Charlotte served her children some grilled pork ribs.

“Thank you, Mommy. You should have some yourself.”

Even though Robbie and his siblings had grown older, they remained close to their parents.

“I didn't know what true happiness was back then, but I do now. Coming home to a loving wife and being surrounded by the children; that's true happiness. Children aren’t that complicated, you know? You just have to spend more time with them, and naturally, they'll start to grow fond of you,” explained Zachary casually to Danrique.

In response, Danrique glared at the man. “Do you think you're qualified enough to tell me what to do? I'm sure you have other things to worry about than my personal life.”

Zachary could not help but chuckle at Danrique’s constant need to put on airs.

“Danrique—"

Charlotte tried to alleviate the awkwardness in the room, but before she could even start talking, Francesca interrupted her and said to Danrique, “He's not wrong, you know? That's what a good father looks like. Now think about how you've been doing so far.”

Frowning, Danrique was about to retort when he remembered how afraid the children were of him, so he swallowed his words.

Francesca then continued, “Don’t you think it'd do you good to take the advice? Like me, the girls love Chanaean cuisine, so you should hire chefs who specialize in that. On top of that, you should set up a playground in the backyard like what Charlotte and Zachary did. How else do you expect the girls to have fun at home?”

“Francesca, I swear—"

"Hey, Francesca! Why don't you try the soup?” Charlotte quickly interrupted Danrique because she knew the man was going to explode with anger.

“Thank you, Charlotte,” responded Francesca with a warm smile.

Immediately, Danrique saw that as an opportunity to get back at his wife. “You should learn from Charlotte then. See how caring and understanding she is.”

"Why you—"

“It takes time, really. Zachary and I used to fight a lot too because we were both too stubborn to back down. But we've been through a lot together ever since, and we've grown together as a couple. We learned to empathize with each other and deal with family issues like mature adults. That's how we get to how we are today as a family,” explained Charlotte, still trying to alleviate the uneasy situation.

“She's right. That's what life is about. We have to constantly learn and grow..."

 

Chapter 1723: The Negotiation

“Taking good care of a family isn't any less easy than running a business. Still, many would rather put more effort into their work than their families,” added Zachary.

"Yep. We had to work together to make things work for us.”

Charlotte and Zachary were completely in sync as they shared their experience in building a healthy relationship.

Having heard enough, Danrique and Francesca both knitted their eyebrows and pleaded together, "Okay. That's enough.”

The two then looked at each other instinctively before quickly turning the other way with a pout.

“I guess Charlotte and I aren't the only couple in sync,” teased Zachary. “I understand. Our sharing can only take you so far. Some lessons have to be taught through experience.”

“That's true. Here, Hubby, you should try these.” Charlotte served her husband some more food.

In response, Zachary kissed the woman on her forehead. “Thank you, Wifey.”

While the couple was enjoying the moment, Francesca could not help but cringe at the scene.

On the other hand, Danrique was envious of the couple. He then stared at his wife with displeasure and wondered if she would ever treat him like that.

After dinner, Zachary suggested that the adults watch from the garden pavilion while the children play.

Danrique wanted to turn Zachary down, but before he could do that, Francesca had already agreed on his behalf.

Hence, Charlotte immediately had Hanna prepare the finest tea and nibbles they had to offer. Danrique had no choice but to follow his wife as she skipped outside. Following close behind was Charlotte pushing Zachary on the wheelchair.

Exceptionally bright that evening, the moon was shining its silvery light down on the courtyard. The pavilion was situated on a small hill, so Francesca and the others could easily see the children having fun in the garden. As they were basking in the moonlight and the sweet aroma of fine tea, the atmosphere there was as romantic as it could be.

“I guess being part of a prominent family isn't all bad,” commented Francesca while waving happily at the children, for she used to feel like being imprisoned with the Lindberg family.

Back then, Francesca wanted nothing more than to get as far away as possible from Danrique.

“It wasn't always like this, though. Luckily, things have changed,” responded Charlotte before turning to Danrique. "You guys have a pretty big courtyard too, no? You should consider building a playground there so that you can spend more time having fun with the kids.”

Even though the man did not agree with the idea, he did not shoot it down either.

“I don't care. I just want to travel around the world because I can't stand the idea of staying in the same place for long. There's nothing like freedom! No one can stop me!” Francesca quickly took the opportunity to express her thoughts

"Have you forgotten that you have children now? Is leaving them behind your idea of a caring mother?” questioned Danrique with a scoff.

“The kids had no problem leaving with me. I'm more than capable of taking care of them. But you just had to ruin it and snatch them away from me! In case you didn't notice, you're not exactly a great father either, so stop judging me,” Francesca retorted.

"How dare you—"

Before the quarreling got out of control, Zachary quickly intervened, “I think that's quite enough. We have more important things to talk about, no?”

“Right. Zachary still requires medical attention, so I can't leave just yet.” Francesca was convinced that she had found the perfect excuse to stay.

"He looks just fine to me,” Danrique scoffed again. “If he really wants to recover, then he should go to Erihal.”

“Are you kidding me right now? What's wrong with you?"

“Just shut up!”

Apparently, Zachary's intervention did not help since the couple got into another heated argument. Charlotte, too, wanted to stop the couple, but they would not give her a chance to say anything. Decided that he had done everything he could, Zachary poured himself a cup of tea and admired the moon instead.

The arguing couple eventually ran out of things to quarrel about, so they both sat down with their backs turned on each other.

"Are you guys finally done?” inquired Zachary patiently. “I wasn't talking about me just now. I meant your condition, Danrique.”

"What does that mean? What condition?” responded Danrique before turning to glare at his wife. Francesca then immediately shook her head and tried to defend herself. “Hey, don't look at me. I didn't say anything.”

 

Chapter 1724: It Was His Idea

“I don't exactly know what condition you have; I only know you have one. Anyhow, you should get it treated before it gets worse,” advised Zachary.

“It's already been taken care of,” blurted Francesca.

With both her eyebrows raised, Charlotte was surprised to hear that. “Really? That was fast.”

“It's not that big of a deal, really,” replied Francesca as she looked somewhat embarrassingly at her husband.

“Then you guys should have no problem figuring out the next step. And you don't have to worry about me. Danrique was right; I'm fine. I'll go get treated in Erihal as soon as I'm done dealing with the matters on hand.”

“But... But I don't want to go back to Erihal,” objected Francesca anxiously.

“I'm going to leave that discussion to you and your husband because I want no part of it. Just let me know where you'll be, and I'll go find you.” Zachary wanted to stay out of trouble.

With that, Zachary was ready to leave the couple alone, so Charlotte helped push his wheelchair. “Hold it right there, Zachary!” commanded Francesca before rushing over to stop the man. “Have you forgotten what you promised me? You said that if I helped you, you'd stop that rogue from taking me away.”

Danrique and Charlotte immediately shifted their attention to Zachary when they heard those words.

"Oh, right! Almost forgot about that,” responded Zachary, slapping his forehead.

“You j*rk!" cursed Francesca.

The man then turned his wheelchair around to face Danrique. “You know, nothing good ever comes out of—"

“I don't care. I do whatever I want,” interrupted Danrique, refusing to hear what Zachary had to say. Unsure of how to proceed, Zachary turned to his wife for help. “Wifey, do you think you can—" "Why did you make that promise in the first place anyway? What's important is that they get back together as a family. Why did you have to get involved?”

"You're absolutely right, Wifey!” agreed Zachary while nodding fervently.

Francesca was utterly baffled when she saw the man’s reaction. “What? I thought you said you could handle it?"

“I meant to say that I could handle it if it were up to me. But as you can see, that's not the case. My wife has the final say.”

"Are you serious?” Francesca got so upset that she was about to explode.

“That's enough. It's time to go home.” Danrique was done putting up with the nonsense.

“No! Even if you were to drag me back there, Ill just find some way to escape.”

“I'll break both your legs! Let's see how you escape by then,” seethed Danrique.

"Oh, yeah? Id still have my arms. I'll poison you while you're asleep so that you come begging me for mercy!”

Narrowing her eyes at her husband, Francesca tried to look as fierce as possible to show that she meant business.

“Do you seriously think I can't handle you?”

Enraged, Danrique was about to reach out his hands to grab his wife when the girls came running to their mother.

“Mommy! Mommy!”

Francesca immediately took the opportunity to cry for help. “Alpha, Beta, Gamma, you have to save me from Daddy! He's bullying me!”

Hence, the girls rushed to attack their father by biting his legs. “Bad Daddy!"

Rubbing his forehead, Danrique felt completely helpless against the children.

"What do you say we learn how to swim, girls?” Charlotte tried to pry the three off Danrique.

"Why don't you take Francesca with you too?” suggested Zachary. “I'd like to talk with Danrique alone.”

Charlotte then looked at Danrique, who did not seem to be against the idea since he let go of Francesca.

Before long, Charlotte, along with Francesca and the three kids, were gone.

When the pavilion was finally quiet again, Zachary decided to get straight to the point. “Obviously, you two couldn't figure a way to work things out peacefully, and you can’t seem to have her listen to you. So why not consider this?”

 

Chapter 1725 A Bet

If this had happened in the past, Danrique would have cast him a contemptuous look and rejected him coldly.

However, he did not turn Zachary down this time. Conversely, he stared at the latter and anticipated him to share his plan.

"Actually, it's not a good idea to press further. Why don't you consider letting her stay in H City...” “You want to keep her here to treat you, right?” Danrique shot him a glare and cut him off.

“Well, she can do that too.” Smiling, Zachary continued, “but that's not the main objective. I can guarantee you that she will take the initiative to go look for you in Erihal after two months, should you follow my lead in this.”

"What a bold statement!” Danrique did not believe him at all. “You clearly do not know how stubborn she is.”

"Want to take a bet?” Zachary arched his brow.

"What are we betting on?” Danrique was intrigued.

“Five percent of shares,” Zachary responded steadily. “If I lose, I'll give you five percent of my shares at Nacht Group. If you lose, you shall give Charlotte five percent of yours.”

“Haha, it's a deal then!” Danrique agreed with a bright grin.

Intelligent people usually cut to the chase and communicated efficiently. Bruce who overheard their conversations exclaimed discreetly, knowing that five percent of shares from either Nacht Group or Lindberg Corporation would be worth a fortune.

These shares are exceptionally important, especially now when there are critical changes happening in both families.

Zachary was certainly very confident in his plan to have suggested the bet. That was exactly why Danrique was highly interested to participate in it.

From Sean's perspective, he felt that Danrique did not know what to do with Francesca. When Danrique realized how good Zachary was at managing family relationships, he convincingly took a bet.

Perhaps things will turn out to be a pleasant surprise. Who knows?

When Charlotte brought the kids to play in the garden, Bruce pushed Zachary out in his wheelchair too. The children surrounded Zachary as soon as they saw him and started chattering non-stop. “Daddy, Daddy!"

"Uncle Zachary!”

"Hey, munchkins!” Zachary ruffled their hair and asked gently, “Why didn’t you go swimming?”

“It's too windy. Aunt Charlotte said it's better for us to play in the garden.”

“I see. You guys are an obedient bunch.”

"Hey, how was your discussion?” Francesca hurried over and posted her question

“You'll have to ask him directly.” Zachary gazed at Danrique who was slowly approaching them. “It's time to go home.”

Danrique stared at the three children while Sean quickly ushered the girls to the car.

“Mommy...” The little ones turned their heads to Francesca.

They would only follow suit if she took her leave.

“All right, make a move now,” urged Danrique as he took a glance at Francesca before heading upstairs.

Sean walked toward Francesca and politely gestured her toward the exit.

“What does this mean?” Francesca panicked. “Zachary, did you betray me?”

“Don’t you worry, you're coming back here tomorrow,” Zachary hinted with a mysterious smile “Keep him company tonight.”

“Huh...” Francesca froze up at his reply before she snapped back into her senses a few seconds later. "You're saying that he agreed to let me stay?”

Zachary nodded.

“You aren't pulling my legs, are you?” Francesca was over the moon. She could not believe the news. “Just ask him and you shall receive your answer.” Zachary pointed in the direction of the Lindbergs’ car.

“Bast*rd, bast*rd, did you really say yes to me staying here?” Francesca dashed over and queried. “Yup.” Danrique bobbed his head. “Go home. I'm leaving for Erihal tomorrow, and I'll arrange for someone to send you back.”

“This is awesome!” Francesca cheered happily.

“Get in!”

After watching the Lindbergs’ convoy leave, Charlotte asked in disbelief, “Is this for real?”

"Of course!” Zachary rolled his eyes at her. “How can this be a lie?”

"How did you manage to convince my brother?” Charlotte was super curious.

Chapter 1726 Finalized

“I made a lucrative offer.” Zachary cackled. “Anyway, we're keeping all the good stuff within the family.”

“What's going on? Tell me, quick!”

“I'll tell you when we go back to the room.”

"Okay!"

The couple chatted on the way back to their room.

Upon finding out the deal, Charlotte was shocked to the core. “That's an insane bet! How sure are you that Francesca will definitely go to Erihal and look for Danrique?”

"One hundred percent.” Zachary was resolute. “I'm winning this bet.”

“Fine, Mr. Mastermind...”

At that time, Charlotte was not aware of the agreement between Zachary and Danrique; neither did she know about the details.

When Gordon drove an enraged Francesca back the following night, Charlotte finally found out that Danrique took the three children to Erihal while leaving Francesca behind in H City.

Before parting ways, the kids bawled their eyes out and held Francesca's hands tightly.

It broke the latter's heart as she would be separated from her girls. She wanted them to stay, but Danrique insisted otherwise and sent her to Northridge.

Right before leaving, he told her, “Aren't you craving freedom? Here you go, your well-deserved freedom. Go ahead and paint the town red!”

“Danrique, you bast*rd!"

She was fuming when they shoved her into the car.

Her blood was still boiling in rage when she arrived at her destination. She did not stop dialing Danrique’s number until Zachary's words made her pause and mull over the matter.

"You wanted freedom, but the children need stability. Do you think it's wise for you to raise them like vagabonds and make them wander around with you?”

Francesca was completely stunned. The question kept playing in her mind like a broken record. “Calm down, Francesca. Perhaps Danrique will send someone to get you very soon,” Charlotte consoled her.

“He's coming for me?”

Francesca was in a quandary. When he comes, do I want to go with him?

“Shall I lead you upstairs, so that you can get some rest, Francesca?”

Knowing that she was in a bad mood, Charlotte suggested that she should take some time off for herself.

Thereafter, Francesca locked herself up in the room. After what seemed like an eternity, she came out to treat Zachary.

“It's good to have some alone time. One needs that to figure out one’s priority in life,” Zachary said casually.

"Hmm..." Francesca hummed softly in agreement. Then, she poked a needle into him vehemently, causing Zachary to yelp in pain.

“Argh!”

“Do you think that I didn’t know you're the one who gave Danrique this idea?”

“l.. Ahh! No, I'm just... Ahh!”

In the end, the chapter closed with Franscesca staying in H City to treat Zachary, whereas Danrique brought the girls back to Erihal.

Meanwhile, the situations at both Nacht Group and Lindberg Corporation were not looking good. As responsible men, Zachary and Danrique buried themselves in work, trying to resolve the quagmire

With that, life moved on as usual. Zachary never stopped working while Charlotte recuperated at home and took care of the kids.

When the children had recovered, Charlotte helped them to organize a small funeral for Little Fifi. Charlotte and the three kids were forever grateful that their pet did what it could to protect Ellie despite being in the twilight of its life.

It had reached the maximum age a parrot could live. Although Little Fifi was already seven when it died, it still looked as adorable as ever.

The funeral was postponed since the kids were injured one after another and also due to the many happenings at home.

Now that they were emotionally more stable, Charlotte decided to hold one in memory of Little Fifi. They built a tomb under the osmanthus tree back in Northridge and put Little Fifi's photo on the headstone. Additionally, they also placed many of its favorite snacks around it.

With Little Fifi's favorite music playing in the background, the children carried little wreaths and conducted a funeral service to reminisce the good old days they spent together. The eagle, Fifi, was also present throughout.

Everyone missed Little Fifi so much and the tremendous joy it had brought to their home.

How I wish the days ahead of us would be as blissful as ever...

 

Chapter 1727 Fallen Ill

As days passed, Zachary convalesced gradually under Francesca’s care and treatment.

Though he had to be wheeled in like before, his movements had improved significantly, and he looked much more rejuvenated.

On the other hand, Charlotte and the three children had also fully recovered. She could now accompany the children to swim, ride horses, pick flowers, harvest grapes, and fly kite at their backyard.

Fifi's wings had also regained their strength to soar high in the sky. Every time the kite veered to one side or was on the verge of crashing, Fifi would use its sharp claws to bring it back up high again.

When that happened, the children would be so thrilled that they kept on clapping and screaming at the top of their lungs, “Go, Fifi, go!”

“Hahaha...” Charlotte laughed boisterously. “I think Jamie needs to work a little harder. Run, Jamie! Don't leave the hard work to Fifi.”

"Okay, Mommy!"

Jamie pulled the string connected to the tail of the kite and ran across the hill.

Seeing so, Robbie and Ellie applauded his spirit and rooted for him cheerfully.

Gazing at the children’s happy faces, Charlotte's heart was so full. On the contrary, Francesca who witnessed the scene from afar felt a turmoil of emotions because she missed her girls.

I wonder how Alpha, Beta, and Gamma are doing right now.

Initially, they would video call her quite often and shared about every little thing that happened back home. As time passed by, they switched from video calls to voice calls, and they eventually stopped calling her from Erihal.

Previously, she never liked any electronic gadgets. Now, she would gladly lug an iPad around, so that she could answer the girls’ video call anytime, anywhere. However, the device had never rung even once.

Moments ago, she tried calling Danrique but was unable to get through to him.

Feeling frustrated, she took a walk in the woods and ran into the blissful scene of Charlotte spending time with her children, flying kites.

An instant dejection washed over her.

She started contemplating if she should return to Erihal. Yet, the thought was dismissed rather quickly.

Perhaps this is all that bast*rd’s scheme to get me to compromise. No, I shouldn't meet him halfway. He might give up soon. Maybe the kids miss me so badly that he will return them to me? After all, he doesn't like children. Yes, that's right, so be it. This is all a game. The one who is able to endure the longest wins the battle.

Every time she thought of that, she inwardly cheered herself on. Hang in there!

Meanwhile, Charlotte turned and saw Francesca on top of the hill. She smirked. Deep down, she knew that Francesca would give in very soon.

Right then, Morgan rushed over and reported hastily, “Ms. Lindberg, Dr. Langhan called earlier saying that Mr. Spencer has fallen ill. He's now in the ICU."

"What happened?” Charlotte asked frantically.

“I'm not too sure about the details.” Morgan frowned. “She said it's quite serious this time. Mr. Nacht's phone is turned off the whole day because there's a product launch event. No one dares to disturb him, that's why Dr. Langhan called me to inform you accordingly.”

sce

Subsequently, Charlotte instructed Emma and Jade to take care of the children while she made her way to the hospital with Morgan.

During the journey, Lupine called and asked in trepidation if they needed more hands since Chris had escaped. She was worried that something bad would happen.

Charlotte could not be bothered about Chris and responded that four people were sufficient to do the job. She then ordered Lupine to stay back and protect the children.

With that, Lupine dropped the topic.

When Charlotte arrived at Serene Hospital, Raina was already waiting at the entrance, ready to give her a full update.

"Actually, Mr. Spencer's health started deteriorating after Old Mr. Nacht passed away. He has been depending heavily on the wheelchair to get around. With the overwhelming pressure and multiple issues unfolding at the company, he's been quite stressed out, and that has certainly affected him adversely.”

After a slight pause, she continued, “Last night, he suddenly had a heart attack and was immediately rushed to Serene Hospital. Upon carrying out a thorough check-up, the doctor realized the severity of his health problem and contacted Ben and I at once.

"However, Ben was with Mr. Nacht dealing with the product launch event. I couldn't get him on the line anymore. Considering Mr. Spencer's condition, I thought I'd better report to you.”

Chapter 1728 Final Days

"What did the doctor say?”

As Zachary's wife cum able aide, it was natural for Charlotte to manage all household matters when he had his plate full.

“Not good.” Raina’s forehead creased even more. “Otherwise, I wouldn't have disturbed you.” “Let's go have a look at him.”

Charlotte hurried into the ICU and was met by the doctor-in-charge. The latter greeted her, "Ms. Lindberg.”

"How is he?” Charlotte was extremely worried.

“Things aren't going too well for Mr. Spencer..."

The doctor went on to explain his health condition. Charlotte listened to him attentively without noticing a pair of eyes were watching her from the corner of the hallway...

“That's the current update. I'm afraid he only has a couple more days to live,” the doctor announced. "Oh my..." Charlotte sighed and then turned to give Morgan an instruction. “Get someone to notify Mr. Nacht now.”

“Duly noted.” Morgan left to carry out her duty.

“May I go in and see him?” Charlotte asked the doctor.

"For sure.” He nodded. “Let me lead you to change into the isolation gown first.”

“Thank you.”

After getting herself changed, Charlotte entered Spencer's ward.

It had only been half a month since she last saw him, but she could not really recognize Spencer. He looked as thin as a rake and extremely frail. He lay on the bed with his eyes half-opened. His gaze was fixated on the entrance as if he was waiting for someone.

“Mr. Spencer.” Charlotte leaned forward and uttered softly, “Zachary is busy with a product launch event lately. I've sent someone to notify him. Don't worry, he will be here in a jiffy.”

Upon hearing the last line, Spencer blinked his eyes. Lo and behold, he wanted to see Zachary just once more.

“Rest well.”

Charlotte tucked him in and stayed by his side.

Although Spencer was just a butler, he was always held in high regard by others. He had served three generations of the Nachts, worked hard, and performed great feats for the family.

When Zachary was in trouble, Spencer stood by Charlotte and assisted her in resolving the company crisis.

Recalling his good deeds, Charlotte vowed to be Spencer's guardian angel until Zachary’s arrival. She was afraid that Spencer would bid farewell forever as a lonely old man, without having any loved ones by his side.

After a while, he fell asleep.

Charlotte requested Morgan to call upon a few of Spencer's subordinates to interrogate them. “When Mr. Nacht and I paid Mr. Spencer a visit recently, he was perfectly well. Why did things get so bad all of a sudden? And none of you said a thing?”

“Indeed, everything seemed fine until last night... He had a heart attack. We were all caught by surprise and quickly called the ambulance...”

A few of the senior subordinates got increasingly worried and regurgitated everything they knew. Charlotte simply stopped asking, reckoning that they knew nothing more than what was already shared. She would scare them off if she were to pursue further. Hence, she let them go and stayed quietly by Spencer's side.

Soon, it was night fall.

Morgan entered the ward and reported discreetly, “Mr. Nacht is having a closed-door conference at the lab with a team of researchers. No one is allowed to interrupt him at the moment. Ben is inside the lab too, whereas Bruce is outside. Emma has informed Bruce about this. We're hoping that Mr. Nacht will be out as soon as possible, then Bruce can tell him about Mr. Spencer immediately.” "Hmm," Charlotte acknowledged. “Send someone to examine Mr. Spencer's house. Check if anyone suspicious came by last night or anything unusual happened. Act on this without further delay.” “Noted,” replied Morgan.

Though the chance was slim, Charlotte insisted on checking Spencer's house thoroughly just in case there were any clues left behind.

“Ms. Lindberg, it's getting really late. Please take a rest at the lounge that we've prepared for you and have a simple dinner,” urged Raina.

“All right, I'll go take a quick shower. Keep me if anything happens.”

Charlotte did not get a chance to freshen up after playing with the children at the hillside. She was drenched in sweat when she rushed to the hospital. Thus, she wanted to make herself comfortable. “Sure, don't worry.”

 

Chapter 1729 Die Together

Charlotte proceeded to the lounge where Jade had prepared a clean set of clothes for her.

After reminding Jade of a few things, she entered the bathroom and turned on the water heater. Right when she was about to remove her clothes, she caught a silhouette flashing across the mirror. On instinct, she turned her head and shouted, “Who's that?”

Charlotte was stunned when she saw who it was. “Chris?”

“That was fast.” With a pistol in his hand, Chris approached her slowly. “How can you be so sure that it's me and not Zachary when we look absolutely identical?”

“You're not worthy to compare yourself to him!" Charlotte glared at him. “Why are you here? Do you have anything to do with Mr. Spencer's sudden collapse?”

“If that stupid old geezer didn't fall sick, how will I have a chance to get close to you?” He smirked smugly. “It's been a while. Do you miss me?”

“Disgusting!” Charlotte furrowed her brows. “Repent and turn yourself in now. That's your only lifeline.”

“Lifeline?” Chris's expression changed when he heard the word. Grief and desolation were written all over his face. “Can I still save myself when I'm diagnosed with AIDS?"

"What?" Charlotte widened her eyes in shock. It took her a while to recover from it. “You... Are you sure you got it? Did you check properly?”

Though the disease transmission risk was very high, it was not always a hundred percent confirmed case. Before this, Charlotte thought that Chris might get lucky to be tested negative, but who knew...

“You're so evil, Charlotte!” He stared daggers at her. “How dare you fooled me into sleeping with your substitute who has AIDS? Are you happy now that I've contracted this deadly disease?”

“That wasn't my intention,” she explained hastily. “I didn't know that the girl has AIDS..."

“You didn't know? How is that possible?” Chris questioned her through his gritted teeth. “You had it all planned out and schemed this episode with Peter. I never once had the heart to lay a finger on you, but you... You did this to me! You are full of malice and spite!”

“No, I didn't...”

“Shut up! I will drag you to h*Il with me!” Chris closed in on her. “I'm doomed, and I won't let you live either.”

With that, he prowled on her with the pistol

Charlotte swiftly grabbed the shower and sprayed the hot water at his eyes, causing his vision to become blurry, and subconsciously covered his eyes with his hands.

Seizing the opportunity, Charlotte pushed him away and scurried out of the bathroom. Unfortunately, he got hold of her hair and pulled her back in.

"Ah!" she screamed in pain and struggled to escape his grip. Then, Chris raised the pistol and aimed it at her head.

At that critical moment, Charlotte kicked his crotch, resulting in him ducking down with his arm hanging mid-air.

She landed another kick on him before pushing the door open. She clutched onto the last strand of hope and tried her best to escape, but a figure appeared behind her and covered her mouth. Horror-stricken, she saw a pair of familiar eyes staring into hers just seconds before she was knocked out.

Chris dashed out of the bathroom with his pistol, wanting to chase after Charlotte. Suddenly, someone pointed a gun at his head. Panic surged through him as he widened his eyes to see who that person was. “It's you?”

Without saying a word, the person hit him harshly with the gun handle. Within moments, the person's subordinates took Chris and Charlotte away.

Everything happened at lightning speed.

When Jade returned from the ward, she heard the sound of running water from the bathroom. Assuming that Charlotte was still showering, she did not think much about it.

Right then, Emma walked in with a hot drink. Her guard was up when she saw a few strands of hair on the doorknob. Instantly, she picked up her weapon and kicked the door open...

Chapter 1730 Pure Evil

There was no one inside the lounge. Emma darted into the bathroom, only to realize that it was also vacant.

She scanned around and noticed that the amenities were strewn across the bathroom floor, as though a fight had broken out.

Getting all worked up, she shouted, “Jade, tell Ms. Morgan that Ms. Lindberg is in trouble.” "What's wrong?” Jade asked while calling Morgan on the phone.

Meanwhile, a group of mysterious individuals who disguised themselves as medical staff abducted Charlotte and Chris to the rooftop on the thirty-third floor.

“Ms. Gold, shall we throw them off the building?” one of the subordinates asked.

“No need.” Nancy narrowed her eyes and let out an evil smile. “Aren't we letting them off too easily if that's the way they are to die?"

“Then... What should we do?"

“Feed Chris all of those pills.”

“Noted.”

Subsequently, the subordinate took a handful of blue pills, shoved them down Chris’ throat, and forced him to gulp gallons of water.

“Excellent.” As Nancy gazed at Chris, she recalled everything he did to her. A blazing fury flamed within her as a deep hatred seized her entire being.

She stepped on Chris’ face mercilessly and declared her revenge word by word, “For all the pain you've brought upon me, Chris, I am going to return them back to you in multiple folds tonight.” Shortly after, she turned to Charlotte and sneered, “However, before I do just that, I have a superb present for you.”

She gestured for a female bodyguard to move Charlotte and chuck her beside Chris. She even removed Charlotte's jacket.

"When will the pills take effect?” Nancy asked coldly.

“Usually, it takes about half an hour. Since he consumed a large quantity of it, I believe the effects will kick in sooner than expected.”

As the subordinate spoke, Chris was seen slightly awakened. He held his head in his arms, looking extremely awful.

Nancy nudged him with her foot and scoffed, “Have a jolly good time, you two.”

Then, she stepped on Charlotte's knees harshly, causing the latter to arch her body in agony. Seeing that Charlotte was about to wake up, Nancy left swiftly with her subordinates. She left one behind and instructed, “Keep an eye on them and report to me if something happens.”

“Noted!”

"Go check if Zachary has set off.”

"We've just received an update that Mr. Nacht has left Divine Corporation for the hospital. I guess he will reach in half an hour.”

"Awesome! Half an hour, huh? It's almost time. I wonder what's Zachary's reaction when he witnesses Chris having sex with Charlotte. Let's see if he still wants this woman then. Hahaha!” Gradually, Charlotte regained consciousness and opened her bleary eyes. Feeling a little dazed, she noticed herself lying down in an open space with nothing around her.

Hang on!

She seemed to see a familiar figure propping himself up beside her, holding his head, and giving her a puzzled look.

“Chris!”

Charlotte stiffened for a bit before remembering all that had happened earlier.

I was getting ready to take a shower when Chris ambushed me. We fought, and I left the bathroom. Suddenly, another person knocked me out. I'm already here when I got up. Were those Chris’ subordinates?

Realizing that she had no time to wrap her head around this, she tried to get up and run but convulsed unwittingly due to the racking sensation coming from her knees.

“Charlotte...”

Chris was right behind her, breathing rapidly and panting heavily. Slowly, he inched toward her. Charlotte turned to take a glance at him and sensed that something was off. His face was flushing red, veins bulging out of his neck, and he stared at her with a sultry gaze. He looked exactly like a horny beast!

As he approached her, he started removing his clothes.

“Don’t come near me!” yelled Charlotte.

In her desperation, she used all her might to get up, wanting to run away so badly, but to no avail. Her injured knees were so weak that she would fall after taking one step forward.