Chapter 181
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 181
With that thought in mind, Zachary’s eyebrows furrowed as his grip on his whiskey glass tightened.
After a brief hesitation, he finished his drink at one go. Putting on his bathrobe, he quickly headed out.
Next door, Charlotte was covering her mouth as she spoke softly, “Alright, once I’m done, I will go pick you up.”
“Don’t worry, I’m someplace safe and so is Fifi. All of you must be good and listen to Mrs. Berry. Safety is of utmost importance.”
“Robbie and Jamie, you have to take of Ellie. I love you…”
Just before she could finish, the door suddenly swung open and a figure stormed in.
Charlotte was given such a fright that she swallowed the word “all” back. She quickly changed her words. “That’s all for now. You should go home and rest. Bye.”
“Who were you talking to?”
Zachary approached her slowly. His expression looked sullen under the dim light of the room.
“I…” Charlotte wanted to lie but she was too intimidated by his presence. Hence, she told the truth unwittingly, “Mrs. Berry!”
“Hmm?” Zachary raised his eyebrow curiously.
“She is my maid who has been taking care of me since I was little…” Charlotte explained truthfully. “Since I received the Delivery from Hell today, I felt my home was no longer safe. Hence, I sent her back to her village. She just reached and called to inform me that she’s safe.”
Other than hiding the children’s existence, everything she told him was true.
When Zachary saw that she seemed to be telling the truth, he didn’t question her any further. “Rest early. Good night.”
“Good night,” Charlotte replied.
Zachary took his time leaving. When she didn’t ask him to stay despite him already being at the door, he couldn’t help but feel upset. Turning around, he asked her coldly, “Is there anything else you want to say?”
“Huh?” Stunned for a moment, Charlotte carefully asked, “Is there anything to eat? I haven’t had dinner.”
Zachary was dumbfounded at the way Charlotte’s brain functioned.
Half an hour later, a maid brought some supper and filled the table with it.
Charlotte couldn’t help but gulp when she saw the food. She started off restrained but was quickly wolfing down them down in no time.
Meanwhile, Zachary watched her eat with his legs crossed on the sofa. “No one is going to believe you when you claim your family used to be rich. You’re eating as if you have never eaten your whole life.”
“You have never gone hungry before, so how would you know how terrible hunger feels?” Charlotte rolled her eyes at him. “You have never had to suffer and don’t know what it feels like.”
“In that case, are you so poor that you can’t afford basic food?” Zachary was curious as to how her life was over the last few years. “Even if your dad went broke, the personal assets he left behind would still be enough to feed and clothe you for life.”
“When my dad got into trouble, the only things I had left were my clothes and a piece of jewelry. Nothing else…”
The moment Charlotte was reminded of what happened to her dad, her mood was dampened.
“I sold my jewelry for some money and survived for a few years. Two months ago, it finally ran out. Hence, I started desperately looking for a job.
“That can’t be.” Zachary was doubtful. “Although your father’s company was declared bankrupt, his personal assets were left untouched. His properties, investments, and cars would be worth at least hundreds of millions combined. How is it that you didn’t get a penny and had to sell your jewelry for survival?”
Charlotte was stunned when she heard his words. She looked up and asked, “Is that true? Then why did Uncle Simon say that my dad’s personal assets were also seized?”
“Who is Uncle Simon?” Zachary asked.
“Simon Windt, Luna’s father.” The moment she spoke, her expression changed drastically. “Did they take my dad’s assets?”
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“Obviously.” Zachary gave her a sympathetic look. “Your father was someone exceptional and yet you didn’t inherit any of his capabilities. How can you not know something as simple as that?”
“I’ll get to the bottom of this…”
Charlotte clenched her fists. Having been cheated of the money aside, Charlotte suspected that there might have been a conspiracy against her dad.
“Good luck.” Zachary stood up to leave.
“Hey!” Charlotte called out to him, “Can’t you help me with this?”
“Since you’re not mine, why should I help you?” Zachary coolly replied. “If you were, I would definitely resolve it for you, no matter what it takes.”
“Sheesh!” Charlotte rolled her eyes at him. “I’ll just look for a lawyer myself.”
“Up to you.” Zachary turned to leave. Without looking back, he remarked, “After all, at nine-thirty tomorrow, you will be mine anyway if you can’t produce the necklace.”
Only then did Charlotte remember the debt repayment agreement and the deadline was nine-thirty at night.
What am I to do? The necklace has been taken by Luna to Arkfield. I definitely can’t get it back.
That night, Charlotte kept turning in her bed and couldn’t sleep. One moment, she would think about the Delivery from Hell. Another moment, she thought about Zachary and Gigolo’s identity. And then she thought about her father’s matter…
She felt as if her brain was going to explode.
Shaking her head, she reminded herself to stop overthinking and to take things step-by-step.
Soon, it was daybreak and Charlotte could finally get some sleep. However, her phone suddenly rang and she answered it in a daze. It was Luna screaming from the other end of the line.
“Charlotte, you b*tch! Hector is going to divorce me just because of you!”
Charlotte hadn’t slept for the whole night. Yet, the moment she closed her eyes, she heard a furious voice cursing and swearing away. For a while, she didn’t realize what was going on.
“It was obviously your children who lost my bracelet. Since you had no money to pay for it, you gave me your necklace as collateral. And yet, you play the victim card in front of my husband? He has just called me and ordered me to send the necklace back. Or else, he is going to divorce me.”
“Let me explain.”
Before she could, she heard Amanda’s voice berating her in the background.
“Charlotte, that agreement was written in black and white. You signed it in front of the teachers and we didn’t force you to do it. But now you went to Hector and complained about us?”
“You b*tch! You really know how to act all innocent. Despite pretending to be the victim, you have the vilest heart of all. I’m warning you, don’t try and seduce Hector while Luna is away. You despicable vixen, Hector will never be serious about you.”
“Are you done yet?” Charlotte couldn’t take it anymore and retorted, “We agreed to exchange the bracelet with the necklace within seven days. Instead, you left the country with it. It’s obvious you are trying to delay the necklace’s return.”
“I will go wherever you want. How dare you restrict my personal freedom…”
“Then, you should stay there and not return,” Charlotte interrupted her and provoked her on purpose. “Hector has asked me to meet him tonight. We will reminisce about the past happily together.”
“You, how dare…”
“Don’t worry. Since you’re not around, I will have a good time with him.”
With that, Charlotte ended the call.
I have to show that despicable mother-daughter duo who’s boss. Or else, they will keep climbing over my head.
Just when she was thinking about it, her phone rang and it was Hector.
“Hello.”
“Charlotte, I’ve instructed Luna to return to H City immediately and return the necklace to you.”
“Didn’t you say they wanted to tour Arkfield for ten days? What’s with the sudden rush?”
“I was worried that Mr. Nacht made things difficult for you and purposely explained it to him. He told me that you have a three-day deadline until tonight at nine.”
Hector sounded extremely anxious. “Don’t worry. Luna has booked the tickets for the return flight. She will arrive at H City airport at eight where I will be waiting for her. I will definitely return the necklace to you.”
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Charlotte had mixed emotions when she heard Hector’s words. Hector was on extremely bad terms with Zachary to the extent Zachary hurt him. However, he still set aside his pride to plead with Zachary on Charlotte’s behalf.
“Lottie, did you hear what I say?”
Hector’s voice disrupted Charlotte’s train of thought.
“I’m listening,” Charlotte softly replied. “Hector, thank you!”
“You don’t have to thank me, I owe you…” Hector continued in a depressing tone, “Now, I strongly regret not protecting you by standing up against my family.”
“Let bygones be bygones…”
“Stupid woman, it’s time for breakfast!”
Suddenly, a voice rang out and interrupted Charlotte.
At the other end of the line, Hector was shocked and felt as if the signal had gone bad.
Covering her phone with her hands, Charlotte frowned at Zachary. “Why do you never knock?”
“This is my home,” Zachary replied coldly and left.
Charlotte rolled her eyes and carefully asked Hector, “Are you still there?”
“Are you both together?” Hector asked, trying hard to suppress his emotions.
“No…” Charlotte didn’t know how to explain.
Hector took a deep breath and tried his best to maintain his composure. “Lottie, let’s meet now at the Blue Diamond. I’ll see you there.”
“Hector…”
Before Charlotte could say anything, Hector ended the call.
Charlotte didn’t want to go but she was worried that he would just continue to wait there.
Holding that thought, she quickly bathed and got changed. With the bracelet in her hand, she headed out to see Hector.
However, the moment she left the room and went downstairs, the maids bowed and greeted her politely.
Charlotte was shocked by the attention and quickly responded with a smile.
“Ms. Windt, Mr. Nacht is waiting for you at the garden,” the maid informed politely. “I’ll take you to him.”
“No, no.” Charlotte waved her hands. “Please let him know that I’m going out instead and not having breakfast.”
“Alright, do you need the car? I’ll arrange it for you.”
“Thanks and sorry for the trouble.”
As the villa was huge, Charlotte had to walk for a few minutes before she could get out.
At the entrance, there was a Maybach waiting for her. The driver opened the door for her as she approached.
“The Blue Diamond restaurant please.” Charlotte rushed into the car and urged the driver, “Please hurry.”
“Will do, Ms. Windt.” The driver started the engine and began to drive.
As Charlotte looked out the window, she could see the garden from afar. Zachary was sitting under a parasol having breakfast and the maid seemed to be informing him of her plans. After that, he turned to look in her direction.
She was so frightened that she ducked, worried that he would order the car to stop.
However, he did no such thing and the car smoothly drove out of the villa.
Charlotte heaved a sigh of relief. Luckily, the Devil isn’t that crazy to restrict my freedom.
Charlotte rushed towards the Blue Diamond.
Hector had booked the whole restaurant and was waiting for her by the window. His lonely silhouette looked especially forlorn.
Taking a deep breath, Charlotte mentally prepared herself and walked in.
“You’re here!” Hector shifted his attention from the window towards her. His tone was incredibly gentle.
“Is your wound better?” Charlotte sat down and asked in concern.
“Much better.”
Staring at the red mark on her neck, Hector’s grip on the coffee cup tensed up.
Charlotte didn’t notice the change in him as she took out the bracelet from her bag. “Here, I’m returning it to you.”
“Actually, the bracelet was meant for you.” When Hector saw the bracelet, he couldn’t help but lament the past. “This is the Sterling family’s heirloom for their daughters-in-law…”
“Then you should give it to Luna because she is their daughter-in-law.” Charlotte smiled faintly.
Hector fell silent in response. After a brief moment, he asked in a solemn tone, “Charlotte, if Luna and I were to get divorced, would you still give me another chance?”
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“It’s better if we stay friends.” Charlotte nipped his idea in the bud.
“Why?” Hector frowned. “Is it because of Mr. Nacht?”
“It has nothing to do with anyone else.” Charlotte smiled wryly. “Sometimes, there’s nothing we can do to change the past. We should look ahead instead.”
Hector clenched his fists in silence.
“Call me when you get the necklace.” Charlotte stood up to leave. “I’m going now. You take care.”
“Don’t you ever wonder about why your father died?” Hector exclaimed softly.
Charlotte stopped in her tracts and sat down. “Hector, do you know something?”
“You should ask Zachary when you get back.” Hector’s voice was grim.
“What do you mean?” Charlotte inquired anxiously. “Are you saying that Zachary has something to do with my dad’s death?”
Hector had a troubled look on his face. After a long silence, he changed topics. “Forget it, your life is peaceful now. I don’t want you to get into trouble.”
“Does he really have something to do with it?” Charlotte widened her eyes in shock. “Impossible. It can’t be true.”
“Do you trust him that much?” Hector furrowed his eyebrows.
“You’re not telling me everything.” Charlotte grew desperate. “What do you know? Spit it out.”
After some hesitation, Hector replied softly, “It was Nacht Group’s hostile takeover that caused the Windt Corporation to go bankrupt in three days. And your father couldn’t accept it…”
“What?”
Charlotte felt as if her mind was blown by the news.
She remembered the first day she went for an interview at Divine Corporation. She met Mr. Looney who doused himself with kerosene and wanted to die together with Zachary.
At that time, Mr. Looney said that he had offended Zachary, who caused him to go bankrupt.
When she saw him then, he reminded her of her father. Come to think of it now, did Dad and Mr. Looney meet the same fate?
“I didn’t want to tell you at first because there’s nothing you can do to change the past. In fact, if you knew the truth, it might put you in danger. However, when I saw how close you were getting to Zachary, I felt the need to remind you…”
“I have to get to the bottom of this.” Charlotte clenched her fists and declared emotionally, “If someone was responsible for my father’s death, I will definitely avenge him.”
“Revenge?” Hector grabbed onto Charlotte’s hand by impulse. “Lottie, the Nacht family is a lot more powerful than you can imagine. You shouldn’t think about revenge. All you should do is stay away from Zachary.”
“I know what I’m doing.” Charlotte retracted her hand and raised her gaze at Hector. “Hector, let me ask you this, do Simon and Amanda have anything to do with my dad’s death?”
Hector was dumbfounded. “What do you ask?”
“I found out that although my dad’s company got into trouble, his personal assets were not seized. However, Thomas and the other shareholders told me that everything my dad had was taken while Simon and his wife avoided seeing me.”
Charlotte looked at Hector intently, “Do you know about this?”
“Not really.” Hector responded calmly. “I don’t know much about the Whites.”
“In that case, can you tell me why you married Luna then?”
Charlotte felt that all these were part of the mother-daughter duo’s plans.
“I…” Hector hesitated and lowered his head. “After I saw the news about what happened to you at Sultry Night, I was devastated and had too much to drink. Then, I made a mistake…”
After a brief pause, he let out a sigh. “I wanted to compensate her financially. But, a month later, Luna was pregnant and both mother and daughter came to see my parents. At that time, your family was the talk of the town. Even my family was badly affected. Hence, my parents were extremely angry and wanted me to get married to stop the rumors. Therefore, I…”
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After his revelation, Hector felt ashamed of himself. That incident had become a painful memory for him. He didn’t want to bring in up in front of anyone, especially Charlotte.
“So, that was what happened.”
Charlotte finally understood what happened. The mother-daughter duo sowed discord between Hector and her. After that, they hooked her up with a male escort to destroy her innocence. Following the incident, they got the media to destroy her reputation. Finally, they let Luna seize upon Hector’s moment of weakness to seduce him.
Unfortunately, both Hector and Charlotte were too innocent to see through their schemes. Hence, both of them were ensnared by the trap.
“Actually, after getting to know the mother-daughter duo better, I surmised that they were the ones behind what happened. It’s just that… when I see my son, I just couldn’t bear to hold them accountable.”
Hector let out a deep sigh as remorse overwhelmed him.
“I understand your predicament.” Charlotte smiled wryly. “After Luna returns the necklace, I will get the kids transferred to another school. As long as the mother-daughter duo don’t bother me, we can draw a clear line between each other.”
With that, she stood up to leave.
“Lottie!” Hector grabbed her hand and gazed deep into her eyes. “Please give me another chance. Once I resolve this mistake, I will be free to be with you.”
“The ship has sailed. There’s no way we can go back.”
Charlotte retracted her hand and left resolutely.
Despite her regrets and lingering feelings for Hector, it was clear to her that rewinding the clock was impossible.
As Hector watched Charlotte leave with a forlorn expression, he didn’t notice that someone was taking pictures of them secretly.
Charlotte planned to take a taxi back but noticed that the Nachts’ family Maybach was still waiting for her.
She quickly got in and thanked the driver.
On the way back, there was a lot on her mind.
Zachary told her that her dad’s personal assets were not seized. In that case, Simon and his family must have taken over her family’s assets. As for Hector’s revelation that it was the Nacht Group’s takeover of Windt Corporation that caused it to go bankrupt…”
On the surface, these two matters seem unrelated. But in reality, they were in conflict with each other.
If what Zachary said is true, that would mean there is a traitor amongst the Whites. It would also mean that Zachary’s conscience is clear. Or else, why would he bring it up for me to investigate?
However, given Charlotte’s understanding of Hector, she knew he wouldn’t lie. Let alone malign Zachary.
What is really going on?
Charlotte got a headache just thinking about it. Sighing, she looked out the window. Just when she wanted to calm herself down, she saw Bar DTT being sealed off.
Stunned, she quickly cried out, “Stop the car.”
The driver stopped by the roadside.
When she alighted to investigate, she saw the sealing notice stating that it was a permanent closure. Puzzled, she gave Peter a call.
“Hello, Charlotte?”
“Peter, I just passed by the bar just now and saw it being sealed. What happened?”
“We’ve stopped doing business and are closed forever.” Peter was depressed.
“Why?”
“There’s no need for you to know. By the way, Charlotte, I have transferred your pay for your final night into your account. Did you receive it?’
“I’ll check it in a while.”
“Let me know once you do.”
“I will.”
“Charlotte, if you have the chance please beg for mercy on behalf of Chris…”
“Wait, what?” Charlotte was stunned.
“Nothing, just pretend I didn’t say anything. Goodbye.”
Peter ended the call quickly.
Stunned, it took a while for Charlotte to regain her senses. Did the bar’s closure have something to do with Chris?
She thought back to that night where Chris was drugged and lost his mind. When he tried to force himself on her, it was Gigolo that saved her.
Did Gigolo take revenge on Chris and even closed Bar DTT?
However, Gigolo is just a gigolo. He isn’t capable of something like that.
Unless he is Zachary!
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Indeed, Zachary was the only one who had the ability to stop the Bar DTT from operating.
Charlotte then thought about Bruce, the Rolls-Royce, and all the other pieces of evidence.
Everything was pointing toward the fact that Zachary was the gigolo.
If that’s true, then Zachary is the father of my children.
Well, I guess a genius president who’s powerful in the corporate world is better than a gigolo from a nightclub.
At those thoughts, Charlotte could not help but feel overjoyed. In fact, she even started imagining the scene of her children meeting their father.
However, she soon stopped her wishful thinking.
No, if Nacht Group had been the one who took over Windt Corporation and led it to bankruptcy, which in turn forced my father to a dead end, then Zachary is the murderer of my father.
How can the murderer of my father be the father of my children?
At that thought, Charlotte’s heart sank.
“Ms. Windt!”
The driver’s voice interrupted Charlotte’s train of thoughts. Returning to her senses, she said to the driver, “I have something to attend to. You can go back first.”
“All right.” The driver nodded to her before leaving.
Charlotte then took out her phone and started calling a list of people that she had not contacted for a long time.
“Mr. Walker, I’m Charlotte. I’m hoping to talk to you-”
Before she could finish her sentence, the man had ended the call.
“Ms. Freeman, I’m Charlotte-”
The call ended again.
“Mr. Judd, I’m Charlotte. Yes, I’m back. Are you free to meet? I’m hoping to talk to you about my father.”
She made fifteen consecutive calls, but only four picked up, and only one agreed to meet.
Charlotte rushed to the location they agreed on.
On her way there, she felt conflicted. On one hand, she wished that Zachary were the gigolo, but on the other, she hoped that he wasn’t.
In fact, she wished Hector had made a mistake—that the bankruptcy of Windt Corporation and her father’s death had nothing to do with Zachary.
Soon, she reached Judd Realty. Upon entering the office and seeing its surroundings, Charlotte was surprised.
The vice president of Windt Corporation and Richard’s right-hand man, Jeffrey Judd, now had a real estate company with a grand total of five employees.
When Jeffrey saw Charlotte, an awkward expression crept upon his face. He quickly assigned tasks to his subordinates before he led Charlotte to a nearby café. In a rather passionate yet slightly awkward manner, he greeted, “Miss, it’s been many years since we’ve seen each other. You still look the same. I’ve been thinking of contacting you, but I was worried that I’d disrupt your life.”
“There’s no need to be so formal. Just call me by my name,” Charlotte replied with a smile.
“How can I?” Jeffrey panicked. “You’re Mr. Windt’s daughter, and Mr. Windt’s my savior.”
“My Dad helped many people, but you’re the only one who agreed to meet with me. I’m already grateful for that.”
Charlotte sighed before she finally started the solemn topic.
“Mr. Judd, I know you’re busy, so I’ll be frank with you. I’m here because I wish to find out what happened four years ago. Why did Windt Corporation suddenly go bankrupt? Why did my father decide to take such extreme actions?”
“I…” Upon broaching the subject, Jeffrey became melancholic. “Mr. Windt had told me not to tell you about those things, he hoped that you can lead a peaceful life.”
“Mr. Judd-”
“Before he passed on, he left something for you,” Jeffrey interrupted.
He then took out a small box from his pocket. In the box was a black key that he handed to her with a grave expression.
“Mr. Windt said to give you this when you come to look for me. The item’s in Oakhill Mausoleum’s number 101 safe. There are two locks on it, and the passcode is your mother’s birthday.”
Upon hearing those words and seeing the black key, tears welled up in Charlotte’s eyes.
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Charlotte had known since young that her father had a red wooden box. In the box were some important documents, as well as her mother’s photo.
Although she had never seen her mother, her father always told her that her mother was like an angel and a perfect woman.
Her mother had gone missing after giving birth to her, and her father never gave up trying to find his wife ever since.
He worked hard to climb up to the top of the corporate world, just so that he could see her soon.
Although Charlotte understood nothing back then, she knew her father loved her mother dearly, and her mother was an excellent woman.
As such, even though her mother had never taken care of her, she never felt a hint of grievance toward her. All she felt was a sense of longing for her mother.
After her father passed away, Charlotte thought of looking for the red wooden box. However, she could not find it anywhere. In the end, she thought it had been seized. It was only now that she found out her father had put it at Oakhill Mausoleum before his death.
Perhaps he had realized something would happen to him early on, and that was why he had made early preparations for his daughter.
“Mr. Judd, why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?” Charlotte took the key with slightly trembling hands. “I’ve been looking high and low for this box four years ago.”
Jeffrey sighed and murmured, “If I were to give you the box four years ago, many would’ve been after it. Too many people had their eyes on you back then. You were like a fish on the board, waiting to be gutted. There was no way you could defend yourself. Your father expected that, and that was why he asked me to hand this to you five years later. I never thought you’d come to me a year earlier than the expected date.”
“So, my Dad planned this early on.” Charlotte took in a deep breath as she collected herself. “What happened back then? Can you talk to me about it? I just want to know the truth.”
“Miss, it’s best if you stop asking about it.” Jeffrey’s brows were tightly knitted, and he muttered, “I can only say that it’s impossible for Mr. Windt to commit suicide when he has a precious daughter to take care of and a beloved wife to find. He was set up by someone.”
At that, Jeffrey became so agitated that his hand that was holding the cup shook.
“Who is it?” Charlotte questioned. “Who set my father up?”
“That person is too powerful for you to win against.” Jeffrey clenched his fists, trying his best to hold back his emotions. “It’s all in the past now, and it won’t be good for you to learn too much. It’s best if you just protect yourself well.”
“But-”
“Miss, I still have some matters to attend to in the office. I’ll take my leave first.”
Before Charlotte could ask him more questions, Jeffrey stood up and was about to leave.
“Mr. Judd-”
Charlotte wanted to stop him, but he was swift to leave. After taking a few steps, he seemed to have recalled something and turned around to tell her, “By the way, Miss, you have to be careful about Simon Windt and his family.”
With that, Jeffrey left.
Charlotte stared at his retreating figure as a myriad of emotions washed over her. What did he mean by that? He said that the person who set my Dad up is powerful, and now he’s telling me to be wary of Simon and his family. In other words, he’s telling me…
The one who set my father up isn’t Simon.
Could it really be Zachary than?
Hundreds of thoughts raced across Charlotte’s mind as she stared at the black key in her hands. She hesitated, wondering if she should head to Oakhill Mausoleum now for the red wooden box.
It was too dangerous at home, and she could not possibly bring the box to Zachary’s place.
There was nowhere safe for the box to be at, so Charlotte felt that leaving the box in Oakhill Mausoleum would be the best decision to make.
After mulling over it, Charlotte decided to return to Zachary’s place first.
She left the café and was about to hail a cab when she realized she did not know the address of Nachts’ residence.
Right then, a Maybach drove over, and its driver came down the car to open the door for her. Respectfully, the driver said, “Ms. Windt, this way please.”
“Why are you here?” Charlotte blurted out.
“Mr. Nacht has instructed me to bring you back safely, so I’ve been waiting for you from afar. I hope I haven’t disrupted you,” the driver explained politely.
However, his words sent chills running down Charlotte’s spine. She suddenly realized Zachary was watching every move she made. It was impossible for her to escape from Zachary.
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By the time she returned to the Nachts’ residence, the sun had set. As night approached, it looked as though a black veil had blanketed across the sky, making it look mysterious and distant.
Coming down from the car, Charlotte was distracted. Various questions were running amok in her mind, waiting for the answers that could settle them down.
“Ms. Windt,” greeted the surrounding guards and maids.
For a moment, Charlotte felt as if she was the lady of the house.
She shook her head, trying to shake the thought off her mind. “Where’s Mr. Nacht?” she asked.
“Mr. Nacht is at the pool. I’ll lead you there,” a maid replied.
“All right. Thank you.”
Charlotte followed the maid across the garden to the pool. From afar, she could see a large blue lamp shining at the pool.
The light made the surface of the pool shimmer, and she could see a figure swimming in it.
Under the light, his slender figure seemed nimble. Looking at him, she could feel that familiar enigmatic sense exuding off him.
Charlotte jogged toward him. She wanted to use the opportunity to find out whether he had the tattoo on his lower back.
However, when she went closer, she realized the pool was huge, and Zachary was swimming in the middle of it. From the land, she could see a patch of dark green on his back, which meant he had a tattoo. Nonetheless, she could not see the design of his tattoo clearly.
Charlotte’s heart leaped into her throat as she jogged to the other end of the pool.
She wanted to get closer to him for a better view.
However, the moment she came closer, he swam to the other side. Hence, she jogged over again.
What happened next was her running after him as he swam laps.
When Zachary surfaced and wiped his face, he gave her a mocking look.
It was as though he was looking at a fool.
“Are you doing this intentionally?” Charlotte huffed as she hunched over, tired from all the chasing.
With a smile, he lowered himself into the water again and continued swimming.
The tattoo seemed to fade in and out of his back, tempting Charlotte to come closer.
Furious, Charlotte whirled around to leave, but her footsteps halted after taking a few steps.
No. I can’t leave. If I don’t find out about his identity today, I’m not sure I’ll have any more future opportunities to do so.
Even if we’re in the bedroom, I doubt I would have the time nor sense to find out about his tattoo…
It’s crowded here, so he can’t do much to me.
With that thought, Charlotte returned. Beside the pool were ivory lounge chairs and tables. On the table was a bottle of red wine, a bucket of ice, and some desserts.
Charlotte took an ice cube out from the bucket and tossed it at Zachary.
The ice cube landed beside him, and Zachary jolted a little before he continued swimming.
Charlotte then tossed another piece. Like the previous ice cube, this one landed beside Zachary again.
After a few seconds, Zachary popped out of the water and shot a glare at her.
She threw a handful of ice cubes at him.
This time, the ice cubes landed on Zachary’s back, bottom, and head.
Finally, Zachary was enraged, and he started swimming in her direction.
Standing at the edge of the pool, Charlotte tiptoed as she tried to peek at Zachary’s back.
I must see his tattoo this time.
Like a sailfish, Zachary came close to her in seconds.
Meanwhile, Charlotte continued staring at the tattoo on his back. Under the blue light, the patch of ink started getting clearer and clearer.
Just as she was about to see the pattern clearly, a hand suddenly grabbed her ankle and tugged on it.
Splash!
Charlotte fell right into the pool. Her arms flailed about as water invade her nose and mouth. She was struggling like a cat that was drowning.
In the meantime, Zachary simply watched her from the side, indifferent to her struggles. In fact, a taunting smile was plastered on his lips.
Just as Charlotte was about to sink into the water, Zachary finally reached out to scoop her out of the pool.
Ptooey!
Charlotte spat out a mouthful of pool water right onto Zachary’s face.
Zachary quickly shut his eyes before he gritted out, “Charlotte Windt, you’re dead meat!”
Charlotte panted for a while before she came back to her senses. Immediately, she turned Zachary around to look at his lower waist.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 189
Still dripping with water, Zachary’s tanned skin was a sight to behold under the blue light. There was a long scar slanted across his waist that gave off the illusion of cutting his waist in half.
Under the scar was a tattoo.
Right as Charlotte was about to find out what the tattoo looked like, Zachary grabbed her by the hair and forced her to look at his enraged face.
“You-”
Before Charlotte could say anything, Zachary bit down on her cold, red lips.
Like a beast that was gnawing on its prey, he nibbled on her lips like he was giving her a vindictive punishment. His bite made Charlotte’s lips numb, and she was close to suffocating.
In her panic, Charlotte struggled, but she was trapped in his arms, unable to defend herself.
His kisses engulfed her just like how a thunderstorm would, and the movements of his hands were getting wilder and wilder.
Just as he was about to break through the last of her defenses, she widened her eyes, full-blown panicking.
“Mr. Nacht, we have news from Mr. Bruce-”
A voice reported from behind him, but it stopped halfway.
Evidently, the man was stunned by the scene in front of him, and he promptly shut his mouth.
Reluctantly, Zachary let go of Charlotte before he cupped her cheek with one hand and glide his thumb past her swollen lips. “Remember never to infuriate me again.”
Charlotte panted, panic evident in her eyes. Like a frightened doe, she trembled.
With a quick jump, Zachary easily left the pool and covered himself with his bathrobe.
Meanwhile, Charlotte clambered ashore and scurried off.
“We have an hour before it’s nine,” Zachary muttered his reminder in a gloomy tone.
Charlotte shuddered as she recalled the promise she made to him.
It was already eight now. She wondered if Luna had reached H City in time.
She quickly searched for her phone, only to realize her phone was by the edge of the pool, soaked in water.
In a hurry, she grabbed the phone and fled the scene.
Zachary stared at her panicked movements as his lips curled into a smirk.
He only averted his gaze long after Charlotte had disappeared from his view. In a deep voice, he queried, “How’s Bruce doing?”
“It was a failure,” the subordinate carefully replied. “Ms. Summers is hoping that you’ll go…”
The man then trailed off, fearing to continue.
“Tell Bruce to come back.” Zachary seemed to have no reaction to the news.
“Yes, Mr. Nacht.”
After returning to her room with her phone, Charlotte realized she had two missed calls from Hector.
She tried calling him back only to find out that her phone was malfunctioning; she could not make any calls.
Alarmed, she quickly wiped the phone dry before trying again. However, her efforts were to no avail.
Anxious, she was about to borrow a phone to call Hector when her phone rang with the caller ID showing her that it was none other than Hector.
Charlotte tried multiple times to accept the call, and finally, right before the call ended, she succeeded. It had been a tough task, so by the time she answered the call, her hands were trembling from agitation.
“Hector.”
“Lottie, I’ve gotten the necklace, and it’s on its way. I’m just worried that the Nacht family’s guards won’t let me in.”
“That’s great news. I’ll tell Zachary right away to let you in.”
“All right. Wait for me.”
After ending the call, Charlotte clenched her phone, thrilled, and was about to look for Zachary.
Right then, Zachary walked by her room, barefoot and wrapped in a bathrobe.
Charlotte darted to him. “I need to talk to you.”
“It’s the middle of the night, you’re soaked, and you’ve rushed into a man’s room. What are you planning to talk about?”
With a burning gaze, Zachary swept his eyes up and down her body.
Droplets of water were still dripping from her soaked clothes, and the fabric was sticking to her skin, displaying her perfect figure. Her flawless, fair skin seemed to shine under the artificial lights, and it tempted him.
“We’ve gotten the ruby necklace, and Hector is on his way to deliver it here. As long as the guards let him pass, he’ll be able to deliver it before nine…”
“Isn’t he a capable man?” Zachary interrupted as he turned and sat on the couch. “Let him think of a way to enter this place then.”
“You-” Charlotte’s face flushed with rage. “You’re deliberately making this difficult for us.”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 190
Instead of denying it, Zachary shrugged. He then poured himself half a glass of wine and savored it slowly.
“Why are you doing this?” Charlotte was close to exploding in fury. “Do you have a grudge against my father? Is that why you’re toying with me?”
Hearing those words, Zachary paused and looked at her. “Did someone say something to you?”
“Why? Are you feeling guilty?” Charlotte questioned. “Does my father’s company’s bankruptcy have something to do with you?”
That was the question she wanted the answer to the most. Although it was risky to voice it out, she had no other options.
After all, she lacked the ability to investigate him. So she might as well be direct with him.
“Who told you that?” Zachary narrowed his eyes dangerously.
“Seeing that you’re not denying it, does that mean it’s true?”
Charlotte did not want to accept this as her reality, but with how he reacted, it seemed like that was the truth.
Instead of answering her questions, Zachary asked, “Was it Hector?”
“He has nothing to do with this,” Charlotte hurriedly drew the line between Hector and the matter. “Tell me. Did you acquire my father’s company with malicious intents and caused the bankruptcy of Windt Corporation?”
“Very well.” Zachary swirled the wine in his glass. “When he pleaded for mercy earlier, I’ve decided to let him off. But, since he’s pulling dirty tricks on me now, I guess all that’s left for him is to perish.”
With that, he took out his phone and made a call. “Cease Sterling Group’s project.”
“Don’t-” Charlotte tried to stop him, but Zachary had already ended the call. She anxiously explained, “This has nothing to do with him!”
“Do you feel bad for him?” The corner of Zachary’s lips curled upward as he cast a mocking gaze on her. “Why don’t we make a bet then?”
“What do you mean? What are you trying to do?”
Panic had overtaken Charlotte’s mind. All she knew then was that the man in front of her was terrifying.
Leisurely, Zachary lit his cigar. Right then, a call came in. “Mr. Nacht, Hector Sterling’s car is parked at the greenway. He says he’s here to deliver something to you.”
“Let him in,” Zachary ordered.
“Yes, Sir.”
After ending the call, he looked up at her, and she could see an evil glint in his eyes. “So? Will you bet with me?”
“What are you trying to do?” A sense of foreboding rose in Charlotte’s heart.
“Give it a second, and you’ll find out.” Zachary glanced at her translucent, soaked clothes before ordering, “Tidy yourself up in the bathroom.”
It was only then that Charlotte realized she was soaked and dripping all over the floor. She was about to return to her room when she heard the noises of a car outside. Hector had arrived.
In her panic, she entered Zachary’s bathroom instead.
While she was tidying herself up, Hector’s meek voice came from the outside. “Mr. Nacht, here’s your ruby necklace. My deepest apologies. My wife is not the most sensible woman. I apologize to you on behalf of her for offending you.”
“Why are you still standing outside? Come in and have a seat.” Zachary sounded polite.
“Thank you.” Hector walked into the room.
It was then Zachary ordered in the direction of the bathroom, “Come out.”
Charlotte shuddered in fear, but she steeled herself and walked out.
Her hair was still damp, and she was wrapped in a bathrobe too large to be hers.
Hector halted in his tracks. Emotions flashed across his eyes when he looked at her, including shock, sadness, and disappointment.
“He delivered this here for you. Why aren’t you thanking him yet?”
Zachary pointed at Hector with the cigar between his fingers.
Charlotte furrowed her brows but remained silent. At that moment, she knew Hector had misunderstood the scene.
With the way things were between them, even though she had no need to explain to Hector anything she was doing, it still did not sit well with her to have stepped into a trap.
“Mr. Nacht, please take a look at the necklace. If there are no problems, I’ll be taking my leave.”
Right as Hector was speaking, he received a message on his phone. When he read the message, his face ashen, and he cried out, “Mr. Nacht, why did you stop my project?”