Ch. 201..210
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 201
“All right,” Charlotte mumbled weakly. “I’ll move out right away.”
“Be sure to move out before midnight, or else I’ll get someone to help you with you,” Peyton uttered. “For now, I need you to pay your penalty fees first.”
Left with no choice, Charlotte could only pay the fee before she hurriedly looked for houses.
Fortunately, the house she rented was fully furnished. As such, she did not have many things to move.
She placed the pieces of furniture she owned and her suitcase in the security room before she went to the housing agency to look for houses.
As she had to work on Monday, she had to finish moving by the end of today.
After going through some troubles, Charlotte finally managed to rent a house that was near her office. The rent was thrice the amount of her previous rent, but the house was spacious, and it was in a good neighborhood.
Most importantly, no one knew about this place.
Hence, no one could come and disrupt her life.
While the banks were still opened, Charlotte rushed there and deposited the two million into her account.
Looking at the amount left in her account, Charlotte grinned and exited the place with her head held high.
After moving everything into the new house, Charlotte started cleaning up. She only finished cleaning the entire house late into the night. Lying exhausted on the couch, she stared blankly at the ceiling. When she imagined the smiles that would be on her children’s faces when they came home, the corners of her lips tilted upward.
Perhaps it had been a tiring day, but she soon fell asleep on the couch.
Fifi, who was perched on the television, looked at her gloomily and called out, “Mommy, hungry.”
That night, Charlotte slept soundly. She woke in the morning from the cold, and she realized she had not slept under a blanket last night. Pulling her jacket closer together, she was about to fall asleep again when she found out it was already rather late in the morning.
In less than half an hour, she fed Fifi and washed up before she rushed to work.
She had taken half a day off last Friday. Combined with the weekend, she only had two-and-a-half days off, but Charlotte felt as if she had had a long holiday.
After all, she had gone through too many things during these two-and-a-half days.
At work, she wondered why her colleagues were giving her odd looks and discussing quietly among themselves despite not knowing what had happened to her.
“Charlotte.”
Her colleague from the administration department, Lily, walked over and exclaimed, “Not bad, Charlotte. I never thought you were in that kind of relationship with Mr. Sterling.”
“What?” Charlotte froze. She had kept her relationship with Hector private, and not many knew about it.
“Stop faking it,” Lily giggled excitedly. “I knew it. You were transferred three times in less than a month after joining the company, so I knew you must have pulled some strings. I thought the man backing you was Mr. Holt at first, I never would’ve thought it’d be Mr. Sterling! You’re impressive to have a man like him on your side.”
Hearing her words, Charlotte furrowed her brows and questioned, “What the hell? What kinds of rumors did you hear?”
“How can they be rumors? We even have photos and videos.” Lily chuckled as she opened her social media on her phone. “Look, it’s everywhere on the internet. You’re trending online.”
Charlotte grabbed her phone to look at it, and instantly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she read the titles of the articles.
President Of Sterling Group, Hector Sterling, Secretly Dating A Secretary From Divine Corporation.
Hector Sterling Having An Affair With A Secretary.
Hector Sterling Planning To Divorce For His Mistress. Mrs. Sterling Rushed Back To H City Overnight.
These three articles were the top trending articles online.
When she clicked into the pages, she realized the news was vividly described, and even photos of her meeting Hector at the Blue Diamond were in the article. In fact, one of the photos was of Hector holding her hand and staring into her eyes lovingly.
There was no way for her to clear her name now.
When Charlotte clicked into the comments, goosebumps appeared on her arms.
Die, homewrecker!
I hate mistresses who ruin others’ families. Karma will get this woman soon.
Let’s hunt this mistress down and expose everything about her. Make her suffer for the shameful deed she did!
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 202
“Ignore the comments,” Lily whispered as she took her phone back.
“I’ve heard that Mr. Sterling has been in a bad relationship with his wife, and the two didn’t even have a wedding. Mrs. Sterling had the reputation of being particularly arrogant in the corporate world, and no one likes her. You have to do your best and get the title of Mrs. Sterling. And don’t forget about me when you’re married into a rich family.”
“Lily, you’ve misunderstood the situation. This isn’t what it seems like-”
Charlotte was about to explain when her phone rang. Looking at the screen, she realized it was an unfamiliar number. “Hello?”
“Hello, are you Ms. Charlotte Windt? I’m from H City TV. I’m hoping to interview you about your story with Mr. Hector Sterli-”
Before the man could finish his sentence, Charlotte had ended the call. In the next second, her phone rang again.
Charlotte dared not pick it up this time, but it doesn’t matter because soon, her inbox exploded with countless messages.
Ms. Charlotte Windt, we’re from H City Daily. We’re hoping to have an exclusive interview with you about Hector Sterling and you.
Ms. Charlotte Windt, we’re from H City Business Daily. We’re hoping we can arrange an exclusive interview with you. Shall we arrange for a time?
Ms. Charlotte Windt…
Every media company in H City, and even media companies overseas, were hoping to interview Charlotte.
She dared not pick up any calls from unfamiliar numbers, nor did she dare to click into her inbox anymore.
Within several minutes, she had received dozens of messages with every one of them asking about her relationship with Hector.
Charlotte was panicking, and she knew things had blown up. If this kept up, every private matter of hers would be revealed to the public. If that happened, even her children would be caught up in this mess.
What do I do?
What should I do?
“Let me in!” Luna’s shrill voice came from the outside. “I’m not here to make a ruckus. I’m here for Charlotte. She moved out from her previous place, so this is the only place I can find her. That b*tch had the audacity to seduced my husband and forced him to divorce me while I’m not around. I want to confront her about this.”
At that moment, everyone by the elevators heard her shouts, and they all cast odd looks at Charlotte.
Promptly, Charlotte lowered her head as she frowned in silence.
“What are you looking at? What’s there to look at?” Lily scoffed at them righteously. “It takes two to tango, you know? So why do you have to blame everything on the woman?”
Charlotte’s eyes darted at her colleague. Oh my God, Lily. You’re just making things worse!
“Charlotte, don’t worry. I’m on your side.” Lily hooked her arm around Charlotte’s and huffed, “Didn’t you see the photos? Mr. Sterling is the one holding Charlotte’s hand, and he’s the one looking at her lovingly. I’d dare say that Mr. Sterling is the one who made the first move.”
“How can a mistress be the one who’s morally right?” a female colleague refuted. “Regardless of everything, he has a wife and a child. You shouldn’t have involved yourself in someone else’s family.”
“That’s right. Everyone is supposed to have morals. We can’t be walking around like shameless people,” another female colleague hissed.
“You’re just jealous that she’s a pretty lady,” Lily argued.
“So what if she’s pretty? Does that mean she has to be a mistress if she’s pretty? Karma will get you soon for doing something as immoral as this.”
Unable to bear their words any longer, Charlotte turned to leave.
“Hey, Charlotte, why are you leaving? If we don’t take this elevator, we’ll be late for work,” Lily cried out, but the doors had already closed.
“I bet she’s too ashamed to stay here.”
“Honestly, what’s wrong with the HR department? How can they recruit someone as immoral as her?”
“So you’re the only ones who are standing on the moral high ground?”
Her colleagues were still arguing by the elevators. After rubbing her temples, Charlotte headed toward another elevator instead.
Right then, Luna’s agitated voice traveled into her ears again.
“Charlotte, you btch! Get the fck out here, or I’ll reveal all your secrets to the media!”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 203
Hearing her words, Charlotte, who was about to enter the elevator, stood rooted to her spot. She knew what secrets Luna was threatening her with.
She could not imagine the disastrous consequences if the circumstances of her children’s births were revealed.
The media would find out about her hiring a gigolo, and they would definitely put words into her mouth before they spread the news.
When that happened, not only would she have to face Zachary, but the children would also be traumatized.
Furthermore, she had yet to find out whether Zachary was the gigolo that night.
“Please leave. Stop making a ruckus in Divine Corporation.”
The few security guards then dragged Luna out.
“Let go of me. Let go!” Luna continued struggling vehemently as she screamed, “Don’t you know who I am? My husband’s Hector Sterling. How dare you lay your hands on me? I’m going to get my lawyer and sue you!”
“Help! The security guards at Divine Corporation are beating me up. They’re beating me up!”
None of the security guards paid any attention to her words as they continued to drag her out.
Refusing to give up, Luna continued yelling, “Charlotte, are you really planning to hide in there? I’m going to the reporters right away and I’ll-”
Before Luna could finish her threat, Charlotte scuttled out. “Stop making a fuss here. Let’s have a private talk instead.”
“There you are, you finally have the guts to face me,” Luna sneered. “Why should we have a private talk? Are you afraid that I’d expose some ugly details about you? Why didn’t you think of that when you were seducing my husband?”
“You’ve misunderstood me. There’s nothing going on between your husband and me.”
While Charlotte was talking, many of her colleagues had crowded around them. Most of them did not care about the fact that they were about to be late for work; they only wanted to hear more gossips.
Even the security guards were watching them from the side.
Just then, David walked over and whispered, “Charlotte, do you need help?”
“No, I’m fine.” Charlotte did not want to trouble him nor involve him in the mess.
“I’ve misunderstood?” Luna questioned in agitation. “If there’s nothing going on between the two of you, why are you two on a date? Why are you holding hands? Who knows if you’ve done other things with him? Do you think I’m a fool?”
“We met that time to return the bracelet,” Charlotte stated. “You should know how important the collaboration with Divine Corporation is to your husband. If you keep this up, while it’s true it’ll affect me, I’m afraid it’ll affect you worse.”
Hearing that, Luna’s expression froze. She understood Charlotte’s words well, but fury had taken over her mind earlier. That was why she barged into Divine Corporation to curse at Charlotte, hoping to force her out of the building.
Now that she had achieved her aim, it would not be beneficial for her to keep up the maniacal act.
“There’s a café opposite the street. Wait for me there. I’ll be there in ten minutes after I apply for my leave.”
Charlotte then turned to return to the office building.
“Don’t leave!” Luna rushed forward to stop Charlotte but her path was blocked by David.
She was about to start hurling profanities again when David warned, “Mrs. Sterling, the company has informed Mr. Sterling about this matter. I’m sure he’ll be here soon, so it’s best if you stop making a fuss here.”
“Who told you to inform him?” Anger exploded in Luna, but all she could do was to leave.
Meanwhile, Charlotte went to Lucy to apply for her leave.
When she found Lucy, the woman threw a stack of newspaper at her face and said sternly, “Charlotte, your private life has caused a lot of troubles for the company, and it’s affecting the company’s reputation. The higher-ups have notified us that you’ll be suspended temporarily.
“Suspended? Why?” Charlotte promptly explained, “Ms. Wright, this is a misunderstanding. I really didn’t-”
“You don’t need to explain to me,” Lucy interrupted. “It doesn’t matter what the truth is. What matters most is that the company’s reputation has suffered from this. You’ll be suspended until this issue is resolved. This is just the company’s standard operating procedure when handling this kind of problem.”
With that, Lucy turned and left.
Charlotte was at a loss for words. This was a disaster that she never saw coming. I’m innocent! Why is the media spouting nonsense?
Nevertheless, her priority right now was to deal with Luna. Otherwise, should that woman lost her mind and exposed the matter about her children, she would be doomed.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 204
When Charlotte rushed to the café to look for Luna, flashlights attacked her the moment she stepped into the café, and she could not open her eyes.
Subconsciously, she raised her hand to block the lights from her eyes. Then, she heard Luna’s voice. “This is the homewrecker, Charlotte Windt. Take a good shot of her. Zoom into her face!”
It was only then that Charlotte realized Luna had gathered a group of reporters here to ambush her.
What a cunning woman.
Every single camera was pointed in Charlotte’s direction, and reporters were spewing questions at her.
“Ms. Windt, what is your relationship with Mr. Sterling?”
“Ms. Windt, when did you start having an affair with Mr. Sterling?”
“Ms. Windt, were you the one to force Mr. Sterling to divorce his wife and marry you?”
“Ms. Windt, why did you do this?”
Wrath surged from within Charlotte, and she snarled, “What evidence do you have to prove that I’m the homewrecker?”
“One of our reporters has taken photos of you and Mr. Sterling dating at the Blue Diamond. Both of you were acting intimately, and he even held your hand. Is that not the case?” a female reporter interrogated.
“So, I was having an affair with him just because I was holding his hand?” Charlotte stepped forward and placed the female reporter’s hand on the hand of the cameraman beside her. “Does this mean you’re having an affair with him now?”
“You-” Her words rendered the reporter speechless.
Even the cameraman was stupefied.
“Ms. Windt, are you saying that you’re not the mistress?” another reported queried. “Then why did you meet Mr. Sterling alone?”
“You’d have to ask Mrs. Sterling about that.” Charlotte stared at Luna coldly. “She took something of mine and flew overseas for holiday. I’m in a hurry to get it back, but she refused to meet up with me and give it back. That’s why I could only try to get it back through Mr. Sterling.”
“You-” Luna glowered. “You b*tch! How dare you accuse me of this?”
“Is that not the truth?” Charlotte snapped. “Do you want me to ask for the owner of the necklace to verify this?”
With that, Luna finally felt fear. She had nearly forgotten that the man backing Charlotte was Zachary.
Taking two steps ahead, Charlotte whispered into Luna’s ears. “If you want to talk about this, let’s talk nicely. If you want to make a fuss… Well, two can play at this game. After all, I have nothing to lose now. On the other hand, you have everything to lose. Will you be willing to part with the title of Mrs. Sterling?”
“You-” Luna repeated as she ground her teeth. In the end, she relented. She had to take Hector’s feelings into consideration, as well as the consequences that awaited her should she dared to cross Zachary.
“That’s it for today’s interview. Please leave.”
Luna instantly dismissed the reporters by giving them ten thousand each. She then instructed the bodyguards to send them off.
Seeing how this was a big scoop, the reporters were reluctant to leave, but the bodyguards couldn’t be bothered about their reluctance and simply chased them out of the café.
Hence, they had no choice but to leave while cursing and swearing that they would not get involved in Luna’s matters ever again.
The café finally quieted down now that the reporters were gone.
“Charlotte, you are to cut ties with Hector immediately, or else I won’t let you off the hook,” Luna commanded bossily.
“I’ll repeat this one last time,” Charlotte seethed impatiently. “There’s nothing between Hector and me.”
“Nothing?” Luna slammed her fist at the table. “You called me the other day, telling me that you’re going to seduce him-”
“That was me trying to provoke you into coming back.” Charlotte frowned. “You’re really dumb, you know that?”
“You…” Luna’s expression darkened. “If there’s nothing between the two of you, why would Hector bring the ruby necklace back? Why would he be adamant about divorcing me? He even signed the divorce papers.”
“The ruby necklace is a gift from Mr. Nacht. They have another agreement.” Charlotte’s frown deepened. “As for why he’s divorcing you, he should be the one you’re asking that question to.”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 205
“It must be because of you,” Luna lamented. “Only you can make him so adamant about divorcing me.”
“What can I say for you to understand this?” By now, Charlotte was exasperated. “He and I are done, It’s all in the past now. Even if he’s not married to you, even if he’s single, I still won’t go back to him.”
“Of course I understand. You’ve let go of him long ago, but he hasn’t.” A bitter smile crept upon Luna’s lips. “He’s a fool. He thought by divorcing me, he’ll be able to court you again, but you’ve already set your eyes on someone else, didn’t you? You’re thinking of seducing Mr. Nacht.”
“That’s right.” In order to make Luna stop pestering her, Charlotte made a false admittance. “I’m thinking of going after Mr. Nacht. He’s better than Hector in virtually everything.”
“You sure are full of yourself, aren’t you?” Luna said with disdain. “Mr. Nacht has a fiancée, you know? He’s just toying with you. He won’t actually fall in love with you.”
“What?” Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat. Zachary has a fiancée? Why don’t I know about this?
“The reason for Hector’s persistence is because he knows it’s impossible for you and Mr. Nacht to be in a relationship,” Luna sneered. “On that note, I actually know someone who’s a perfect match for you.”
“Huh?” Charlotte was confounded.
“Come on out.” Luna clapped.
With that, Amanda came out from the private room with a towering man following behind her.
The man looked around six-foot-two with a similar build as Zachary. However, the way he held himself differed vastly from Zachary.
When Charlotte looked at his face, she noticed he was a man from T Nation.
“Do you remember him?” Amanda pointed at the man as she sneered, “He’s Tevin. He was the man that slept with you at Sultry Night.”
Tevin gave Charlotte a once-over, seemingly lost in his thoughts.
“You’re his first client, and you’ve left a deep impression on him,” Luna added. “I hired him for you for twenty thousand back then, and I even sent the two of you to the hotel. It was that night that made you have that three damn kids.”
“That’s impossible…” Charlotte frowned as her eyes widened in shock before she shook her head fervently. “It can’t be him. How can it be him?”
Although she had drunk much that night, and she could not remember the man’s face, when she woke up in a daze, she saw the man’s back and his tattoo.
It was impossible for her to have recognized the wrong person.
“Who else could it be if not him?” Amanda mocked. “Tevin won’t remember the wrong person. He takes a photo of every client he has.”
With that, she gestured at the tall man.
Tevin then took out several photos from the pocket of his flowery shirt and carefully placed them on the table.
When Charlotte focused on it, her jaw dropped.
In the photo was a drunk Charlotte who only had a black bra on her top. Her face was flushed, and she was sound asleep on a white, large bed.
The man had also taken multiple close and intimate shots of her with him.
Goosebumps rose on her arm, and at that moment, Charlotte felt nauseated.
She could not believe the man who she slept with four years ago was this man from T Nation.
She could not believe that he was the father of her children.
“Do you still not believe in me?” Luna took out her phone and played a video. “You will when you look at this.”
Charlotte twisted around to look at the video playing on the screen of the phone.
In the video, she was in a drunken stupor as she cursed at Hector for betraying her.
While Luna supported her, she picked the only foreigner from a line of male models—Tevin. With an evil grin, she said, “You’ll be the one. Do serve my dear friend here well tonight.”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 206
“Okay, got it.”
Tevin helped Charlotte leave the room.
That was when Luna called out from behind, “I booked you guys a hotel just across the road. I’ll take you there.”
Then, the woman kept her phone and sneered, “I rushed to meet Hector that night when he dropped by Sultry Night and even placed a mini camera on top of the vase. I don’t know what happened afterward, but the camera didn’t capture anything. Otherwise, we’d be enjoying some great content by now.”
“You’re disgusting!” Charlotte yelled. “I’ve treated you kindly all this while, Luna, but why are you doing this to me? Why?”
“You treated me kindly?” Luna scoffed. “I followed you around and served you like a slave ever since I was young. You call that treating me kindly? We’re all human, and both our fathers are Windts. Yet, you’re seen as a princess while I’m nothing but your little subordinate. Why is that?”
Charlotte retorted, “Everything I have was given to me by my father. What does this have to do with you?”
She couldn’t understand Luna’s reasoning.
“Yeah, that’s why your dad died at such a young age,” the other woman enunciated. “You drove him to his death.”
“Shut your nonsense!”
Trembling with anger, Charlotte wanted to strike Luna only to be held back by Amanda.
“You dare lay a finger on Luna?” Amanda gave Charlotte a shove and shot her a warning. “Now that we’ve got some dirt on you, shouldn’t you be pleading to us like a dog by now? Instead, you’re still acting all high and mighty? Should I post all these pictures and videos on the Internet, then? Maybe I should get Tevin to give the media a detailed account of what happened that night too.”
“You…” Charlotte couldn’t utter a word. She turned to Tevin and shook her head fervently. “No. It wasn’t him. There’s no way—”
“It was me. It really was.” The man gazed at her weakly. “I know you have a scar on your waist.”
Charlotte froze in shock and slumped on the couch.
She did have a scar on her waist.
Could it be…
No!
Something important suddenly sprang up in her mind. She hastily pressed Tevin against the wall and tugged at his shirt.
“Ughh!” Amanda immediately turned around and covered her eyes. “How shameless can you be to do something like this right in front of us? You’re disgusting!”
“What a lunatic.” Luna frowned with contempt.
Charlotte lifted Tevin’s shirt, searching for a tattoo on the back of his waist.
It’s not him.
I’m sure of it!
“I don’t have time for a psycho like you, Charlotte,” Luna warned haughtily. “I’m giving you an order right now. Marry this man, or I’ll release all the pictures, videos, and information I have on you, your T Nation gigolo, as well as the three kids you had with him.”
“I won’t marry him,” Charlotte declared, slowly calming down. “He’s not the man from that night, nor is he the father of my children. You’re obviously trying to set me up.”
“Are you out of your mind?” The other woman tossed the explicit photos over. “I have all the proof right here, and you’re still trying to deny it? Are you making any sense?”
“I’m sure it wasn’t him,” Charlotte insisted. “But if you dare spread nonsense to the public, I’ll never let you off.”
“You…”
Amanda merely smirked. “I’d like to see you can do that. Do you think we’d be afraid of you just because you have Mr. Nacht backing you up now? Do you honestly think he’d still protect you if he finds out about all your nasty deeds and the fact that you have three kids? He might even kill you instead!”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 207
Upon hearing this, Charlotte began to worry. She’s right. It’d be trouble if Zachary finds out…
Still, none of these threats would mean anything if he were the gigolo from back then.
But I’m sure if it really was him.
She dared not take a gamble.
Besides, even if it were him, what if he has something to do with Dad’s death?
I can’t acknowledge him, and I can’t ever let him find out about the kids.
Otherwise, he might take them from me…
Charlotte was distraught as these thoughts crossed her mind.
Even so… I can’t marry this T Nation man to cover my tracks, can I?
“You don’t have a choice,” Luna threatened. “I don’t have that much patience either. Tevin’s already brought the agreement. Head to the Civil Affairs Bureau to register your marriage, and I’ll talk to the press. As long we get these two steps done, I’ll never bother you again.”
“Give me some time.” Charlotte didn’t dare turn Luna down, but she certainly wasn’t going to readily agree either. “I’ll think about it—”
“Think about what? I want it done now.” Luna obviously couldn’t wait any longer.
“But—” Suddenly, Charlotte’s phone rang. Having the name ‘Gigolo’ appear on her screen was as though she had met her savior. “Don’t you want me to get married to make Hector give up? Well, it’s not like I have to marry this T Nation man; I can marry someone else, right?”
“Who else do you think would marry you within this hour and a half?” Amanda scoffed. “Do you think you’re some goddess everyone wants to marry?”
“I do have a candidate,” Charlotte answered while holding her phone. “But he can’t find out about my kids.”
“Fine. Whatever.” Luna waved impatiently. “It doesn’t matter who you marry. Just get it done by today and announce it to the press.”
“Luna…” Amanda tried to stop her daughter from saying something rash, but Luna had already spoken.
“Okay. Let me pick up a call.” Charlotte walked toward a corner and answered her phone. “Save me, Gigolo.”
“What’s wrong? Is someone after you again?” Zachary asked hastily.
He was so frantic that he forgot to suppress his voice.
“No, I…” Charlotte paused for a moment and began to feel him out. “I have to head to the Civil Affairs Bureau right now and get married. Can you help me?”
“What’s going on?” the man asked in shock.
“I can’t explain it all now. In any case, I have to get married today. Just answer this. Are you able to help me or not?”
She was trying to connect the dots. If he really is Zachary, he’d be in E Nation now. He won’t be able to come back right away.
“I’m out of town at the moment. Can it wait a few days?”
I knew it. It’s exactly as I expected.
“Are you in E Nation now?” she continued asking.
The man over the line paused for two seconds before answering, “I’m in S Nation.”
“Oh…”
Charlotte was eighty percent sure this man was Zachary. “The two million you gave me isn’t enough,” she probed.
“Two million?” Gigolo sounded confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Just admit it already. You’re—”
“Are you done yet? I’m not in the mood to watch you dilly-dally!”
Luna’s impatient voice cut Charlotte off.
Zachary narrowed his eyes. “Is someone threatening you?”
“It’s all good. I’ll talk to you later.” She hung up and turned to Luna. “I can’t get it done within an hour and a half. Give me a few days. If you can’t wait, just do as you please.”
“Do you really think you call the shots here?” Amanda growled. “Keep playing games with me, and I’ll release everything to the public!”
“Be my guest, then.” Charlotte was pretty much done with them. “Zachary may not want me if he finds out about the kids, but Hector won’t think that way. If you drive me to the edge, I’ll have no choice but to rely on Hector.”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 208
“You b*tch!” Luna rushed over and gave her a vicious slap across the face, trembling with fury. “Touch my husband, and I’ll kill you!”
The woman wanted to continue attacking Charlotte, but her mother held her back.
“We should be trying to solve the problem. There’s no point hitting her,” Amanda advised. “If she can’t get it done by today, we may as well give her two days.”
Charlotte’s cheek stung in pain. However, instead of returning the favor, she silently took note of what Luna had just done to her.
Despite feeling extremely reluctant, Luna gave in to her mother’s advice. “Fine. I’ll give you two days. But if you don’t do as I say by then, you know what will happen. I’ll release everything piece of news I have about your children if you ever tell Hector anything about this.”
“I understand.”
After Charlotte left the café, a group of paparazzi began to follow her. The woman ran as fast as she could and finally shook them off after crossing several streets and alleys.
She didn’t understand it. She had never gotten back at Luna for the things the woman had done to her back then. Yet, not only did the latter not feel guilty at all, but she was even more ruthless toward Charlotte now.
At present, Charlotte had lost her job – her life was a mess.
She was on the verge of breaking down upon arriving home. Her phone had been ringing all the while; it was Hector calling.
The mere sight of this man’s caller ID gave her a headache. She immediately rejected the call and blocked his number.
At this moment, the world fell silent.
Clutching her burning forehead, she leaned against the couch to rest, only to hear her phone ring again. It was the news outlets calling this time. Irritated, the woman hurriedly blocked one number after another.
Suddenly, a familiar-looking number appeared on her screen.
Charlotte couldn’t help but freeze upon seeing the digits.
This phone number was practically the same as Hector’s, except for the last digit. Hector’s number ended with a 9, but this one was a 6.
She quickly recalled how Helena had gotten herself a number similar to Hector’s while she was frantically pursuing him.
“Hello?” Charlotte answered the phone.
“You’re so hard to reach, Charlotte! It’s me, Helena.”
She sounds the same as before.
“Hey, Helena. What can I do for you?” she asked politely.
“Oh, I’m fine. It’s someone else who wants to talk to you…”
Helena handed the phone to someone else.
A gentle voice immediately came through the line. “Hey, looney. Do you know who I am?”
Charlotte instantly froze; she only returned to her senses after a long while. “Michael!”
“Thank God you remember me. I just made a bet with Helena, and I would have had to buy her a year’s worth of heels if you didn’t remember me.”
The man’s voice sounded as warm and playful as the sun.
“How could I not remember you?”
Charlotte instantly felt glum. Apart from her father and Hector, Michael was one of the few people who treated her extremely well.
Because of an accident back in university, this man had his finger chopped off by a machine just to save her.
At that time, she had sobbed uncontrollably as she watched him lying in a pool of blood.
Michael had been in so much pain that he turned pale and was practically drenched in sweat. Even so, he had merely let out a smile and said to her, “You feel bad? If you do, you should marry me.”
Michael and Hector had fought over her for many years. They both had done so much just to win the girl’s heart.
But in the end, however, she still chose the graceful and elegant Hector. He was the first one to capture her heart, after all.
Michael, on the other hand, was more like an elder brother or close relative to her.
After news of Charlotte’s and Hector’s engagement broke out, Michael left the country on his own and cut off all contact with the woman.
“Are you free? How about a drink?” Michael asked gently.
“Okay,” Charlotte replied casually before immediately thinking twice. Those reporters follow me wherever I go, don’t they? Won’t that spell trouble for him?
As if he had read her mind, he said, “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you. Just tell me where I can pick you up, and I’ll head over.”
Michael had always been a thoughtful man.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 209
Charlotte quickly provided an address nearby her home and arranged to meet him in half an hour.
She quickly changed her clothes and tidied her hair before heading out.
Upon arriving at the pre-arranged location, a black Maybach stopped in front of her.
As the door flew open, a man with long legs alighted. He removed his sunglasses, and a radiant smile appeared on his face. “Hey, Looney!”
“Michael!” She took a close look at the man and only recognized him after a short pause.
Michael looked like a completely different person now. The man, who had a rather slender figure, now sported long hair. He looked a lot more gentle than before.
These features only made him look even more attractive.
Even Charlotte felt a little insecure standing in front of him. “You’ve lost some weight. You look much better now!”
“Tsk tsk tsk. I told you long ago not to describe me that way.”
He still enjoyed pinching her like before.
“But I mean it. You do look good.”
Charlotte took her own words seriously.
The man now looked like a protagonist from a story. His white teeth, fair skin, and incredibly gorgeous face put many girls to shame, especially now that he had long hair.
Despite tying it up ever so casually, he still managed to look extremely charming in a pretty boy kind of way.
“Not as good as you.”
Speaking the same way as before, Michael held her by the shoulder and helped her into the car. “You should get in. The paparazzi are on the hunt again.”
The woman nervously scanned the area. There seemed to be a few suspicious-looking people staring at her.
“Buckle up and sit tight,” he reminded before he started the engine and sped away.
Charlotte frantically clutched onto the grab handle, took a deep breath, and leaned into her seat.
As expected, two black cars began to trail them. Being the excellent driver he was, Michael easily shook them off while on the road.
She heaved a sigh of relief after noting that the reporters were gone and reminded Michael, “Slow down.”
“Okay.” The latter reduced his speed and caressed her head affectionately. “Let’s go get some meat fondue.”
“You actually remember what I like.”
Charlotte had loved meat fondue ever since she was young, but Hector never took her to eat any as he felt it was bad for her digestion.
Michael, on the other hand, thought differently. He just wanted her to be happy.
“How could I not?” He beamed at her. “I remember every single thing about you.”
She didn’t know how to respond to such profound words.
She gazed at the moon outside, feeling tired and frustrated. I have so much to worry about now. I can’t even live a normal life. I don’t want to drag anyone into this mess…
“I heard about everything that happened back then,” Michael couldn’t help but mention. “I’d never have let that happen if I were the one who married you, and Mr. Windt would’ve been okay.”
Upon hearing this, Charlotte’s nose began to tingle, and her eyes turned red.
She hurriedly turned away, not wanting him to see how miserable she looked.
She had chosen Hector over Michael back then, but reality was now slapping her across the face.
The Brown family had always maintained a low profile, with their assets kept overseas.
Helena and Michael’s fathers were siblings. Helena’s family had only begun gaining a foothold in H City ten years ago, but they slowly grew in power with the help of Michael’s father.
The Browns were now on the verge of surpassing the Sterlings.
It was sufficient to say that the Browns were indeed a rich and influential family that had a firm place in the corporate world.
Even the mighty Zachary Nacht treated the Brown family with more respect than he did other families.
Hence, Michael’s words were no bluff. Had he been around that time, Charlotte’s father, Richard, wouldn’t have had to resort to such means.
Back then, Michael liked Charlotte more than Hector did, but he had let her go out of respect for her decision.
Then, the man left H City in a fury, severing his ties with everyone so that nobody could find him.
That was how the Windt family had lost their very last saving grace.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 210
“It’s all my fault.” Michael felt extremely remorseful. “Your father would’ve still been alive and well had I not left H City and cut everyone off like that.”
“It has nothing to do with you,” Charlotte replied, taking a deep breath. “I guess this is fate.”
“You never used to say such things.” His heart ached as he gazed at the woman he once loved. “It must have been tough on you these few years.”
“Well, it hasn’t been that bad. It’s just that…” She suppressed her urge to tell him the truth and hurriedly changed the subject. “Have you come back to see Helena and Mr. Brown, Michael?”
“I came back for you,” the man answered, staring into her eyes. “After hearing what you’ve been going through, I decided to come back and see if I’d be able to help you in any way.”
“Don’t be so nice to me,” she couldn’t help but reply chokingly. “I’d only feel guilty if you treat me so nicely.”
She turned to look at his hands on the steering wheel. The man wore a glove on his left hand to conceal the fact that he didn’t have a ring finger.
That finger was supposed to be where he would wear a wedding ring one day, but he had lost it because of her.
“You silly girl!” Seeing how Charlotte was about to cry made Michael’s heart wrench, and he hurriedly pulled her into his arms. “I’m more than willing to treat you nicely. It makes me happy. Can’t you just let me be happy for a while?”
The woman said nothing, merely pursing her lips and sniffling inside his embrace.
She was optimistic and cheerful by nature. Whenever problems befell her, she would always do her best to solve them instead of crying or being miserable.
Even so, there were also days where she would break down and feel worn out from all the stress she was experiencing.
Charlotte never showed such feelings in front of Mrs. Berry and the children, but now that she was in a warm embrace and had a firm shoulder to lean on, she suddenly had a desire to give in.
“With me around, you’ll never have to be afraid of anything.” Michael kissed her hair. “Tell me what happened.”
“I…” She opened her mouth but couldn’t speak. She dared not tell him that she was now being blackmailed by the mother-daughter duo of the White family after meeting a gigolo and giving birth to three of his children.
She did not want him to know that she was now being forced to marry someone. She did not want him to know that they had threatened to release all the pictures and videos of her and the gigolo online while also getting that T Nation gigolo to explain everything to the media.
Furthermore, Charlotte certainly dared not reveal how she had been forced to sign a debt repayment contract with the one and only Zachary Nacht. Even if Michael could help her pay the debt off, Zachary would surely not agree to it.
I owe Michael enough. I can’t afford to burden him again.
And I definitely can’t make more enemies for him—not especially when he may end up having to deal with someone like Zachary!
I can’t rope him into this.
“I’ve seen the news,” said Michael. “I’ll never believe any of that. Knowing you, you’d never turn back to Hector after he abandoned you when you needed him most four years ago.”
“You really do understand me.” She sighed in frustration. “I have no intention of talking to those from the past. I’ve forgiven them despite everything they’ve done to me, but they just can’t seem to let me off the hook.”
“Don’t worry. Now that I’m here, no one will be able to hurt you.”
For the first time, an air of dominance engulfed Michael as he frowned.
“No. This is something I have to take care of myself. I don’t want you to be involved,” she hastily insisted. “You’re different from other people, Michael. You’ve never liked business rivalries and schemes. Art has always been your only passion. Don’t give up your own values because of me.”
“Alright, let’s not talk about all this anymore.” The man smiled gently. “It’s been so long since we last met, so we should be enjoying ourselves.”
“You’re right.” She immediately nodded. “Let’s have a good time. It’s my treat tonight.”
“Sure. I won’t hold back then.”
His smile looked more dazzling than the moonlight.