Ch. 281..290
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 281
“I have to go. Once you have your shower, get some rest, okay?” Lucy placed the set of outfits on the bed and departed after she told Charlotte to take care of herself.
After Charlotte drew the curtain of the room, she walked into the bathroom and undressed. When she was about to turn on the tap, she heard the sound of the door being opened.
“Lucy, is that you?” Subconsciously, she yelled because she thought she heard the sound of someone entering the room.
Since there wasn’t any reply, she decided to give it another try and yelled once more, “Lucy…”
Again, her effort was to no avail.
She started having her doubts and felt a sense of insecurity, thinking she might be hearing things because she was afraid of being alone.
Once she wrapped the towel around her bare body, she walked out of the bathroom and caught a glimpse of a familiar silhouette.
“Y-You…” Charlotte stared at Zachary wide-eyed as she was shocked by his presence while he made his way into the room nonchalantly.
After he removed his blazer, he cast it aside and started unbuttoning his shirt as he walked over to the bathroom.
“What do you want?” Charlotte placed her arms in front of her chest and took a step back to put some distance between her and the man.
Unfortunately, she accidentally moved beneath the showerhead that had been turned on beforehand.
Consequently, the moment she felt the scorching water on her head, she shrieked due to the racking sensation and moved away immediately.
Suddenly, she felt a hand around her waist as she was lunged over against her will. Zachary showed up and adjusted the temperature of the water until it was optimum for a shower. Once it was done, he cradled her in his arms and brought her back to the shower.
“H-Hey! What do you think you’re doing? Let go of me!”
She tried to push him away, but she was pinned to the wall. As the water of optimum temperature streamed down her face, her entire body was soaked.
Charlotte had a hard time keeping her eyes open, but she could feel a gigantic palm on her head, tucking her hair behind her shoulders gently.
A few seconds later, she could feel his velvety lips on her lips as the man started kissing her passionately.
“Mmm…” Charlotte shook her head and retaliated against the man, but Zachary grasped her cheek and forced her to stay still while he kissed her.
She could barely resist the domineering amorous kiss that had taken her by surprise. In the end, she had no choice but to brace herself.
Halfway through the session, Zachary lifted her up and forced her to support herself by wrapping her legs around his waist while they leaned against the wall and continued kissing passionately.
In another attempt to shrug him off, Charlotte mustered her strength to push him away. Her plan backfired—he became increasingly aggressive the more she retaliated against him.
The passionate duo indulged themselves in some raunchy fun in the bathroom as though they were isolated from other guests in the resort.
While they were in the middle of some fun, Charlotte heard the voice of the door being opened. A few seconds later, she heard Lucy’s voice, yelling through the door, “Charlotte, are you in the bathroom? Do you have my USB drive with you?”
As she started searching high and low around the room, she asked over and over again, “Charlotte, have you seen my USB drive anywhere?”
Meanwhile, Charlotte, who was in the bathroom, got tensed up abruptly and covered her mouth because she was afraid Lucy would figure out the thing they were up to in the bathroom.
Actually, she forgot to lock the door. Therefore, she was afraid Lucy would walk into the bathroom and run into her when she was in such an embarrassing state.
Suddenly, along with the clicking sound of a pair of heels, Sharon’s voice could be heard as she asked, “Have you found it?”
Lucy replied courteously, “I’m still searching for it, Ms. Blackwood. Why are you here? You should return to your room and get some rest for the time being. Once I find it, along with the documents, I’ll bring it over to you.”
“It’s fine. I’ll wait for you here. Speaking of which, where’s Charlotte? This is her room, isn’t it?” Sharon started surveying the surroundings of the room.
Charlotte was on the verge of breaking down due to the presence of Sharon, but Zachary had no intention to stop.
Oh, God! What should I do? Is there any way to get me out of such an awkward situation?
“I think she’s taking a shower since her shirt was completely drenched in wine.”
Lucy’s eyes widened in disbelief when she took a peek at the entrance of the bathroom—she caught a glimpse of a pair of shoes that belonged to a man.
She had a hunch that the pair of leather shoes belonged to Zachary. Holy moly!
Charlotte kept her mouth shut tight while she tried to push Zachary away. She was afraid they would make any noise and attract other’s attention, but the lustful man showed no signs of stopping at all.
He behaved as though he wasn’t aware of the commotion outside of the room and continued kissing her to his heart’s content.
“Mr. White should behave himself when he’s such an old man! I can’t believe he has such filthy thoughts in his mind!” Sharon scoffed, “I was merely trying to do Charlotte a favor. Although Mr. White wasn’t a young man, he was an exceptional corporate player with a lot of achievements. How could she turn him down when they’re such a great match for one another?”
Charlotte started pulsating unwittingly as she gradually lost control over her body. In a final attempt to stop Zachary, she held on to his shoulders with all her might.
No matter what, the lustful man had no intention to stop because he had yet fulfilled his physiological needs.
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“H-Haha. M-Mr. White is indeed an exceptional man.” Lucy replied with an odd smile and offered, “Ms. Blackwood, allow me to show you the way back to your room. I’ll get Charlotte to bring you the USB drive once I find it.”
“Alright. I wonder what’s taking her so long?” Sharon surveyed the surroundings for one last time.
A wrathful glint could be detected from her eyes as her pupil constricted the moment she spotted the pair of leather shoes in front of the bathroom.
She fastened her grip and accidentally distorted the shape of the limited edition purse she had in her hands.
She winced almost instantly, yet she tried her best to regain her composure and replied with a smirk, “Thank you, Lucy. Please get Charlotte to deliver the things to my room when you find it because I have something to tell her.”
Lucy showed Sharon the way out of their room immediately. “Yes, Ms. Blackwood. Thank you so much for your hard work. You should return to your room and take a short nap. We’ll drop by your room at two o’clock in the afternoon. Is that fine?”
“It’s fine.”
After she showed Sharon the way out of their room, Lucy heaved a sigh of relief and closed the door immediately—she had no intention of staying behind either.
In the meantime, Charlotte threw several consecutive punches at Zachary’s chest to express her frustration. “Let go of me, you jerk!”
“Shut up!” He pursed her lips in return and embraced her in between his arms feverishly.
As she couldn’t hold it back any longer, she bit his shoulder to stop him, leaving bite marks on his shoulder.
…
After a long time, Zachary finally set Charlotte free as she insisted. He wrapped her body using the towel and carried her out of the bathroom.
He cast her on the bed in a rude manner and took a seat on the couch, wiping his hair dry with the towel.
“You’re such a disgusting man!” Charlotte cast a pillow in his direction and started cursing, “How dare you lay a finger on me when you have been seeing another woman behind my back over the past few days?”
The pillow fell to the ground after it smashed on Zachary’s sturdy figure.
He brought himself to a halt and looked at her in return. “What makes you think I have been seeing another woman over the past few days? Do you really consider me such a strong man?”
“Are you going to tell me I’m wrong?” Charlotte glared at Zachary and asked rhetorically.
He continued wiping his hair dry and announced, “Well… I’m actually glad you’re acknowledging my stamina as a fellow man…”
“Y-You…” She was speechless because of his shameless remark.
“You should get some rest.” Zachary removed the towel he had around his waist and started dressing up in front of Charlotte.
“Please don’t touch me in the future because you have a freaking fiancée!” She tried to talk some senses into him in an attempt to strike a deal with him. “Why don’t you set me free? I have no intention to get in the way of your relationship. Apart from that, it doesn’t feel great being picked on by others—”
Halfway through her speech, he interrupted and denoted indifferently, “Are you sure you’re not overestimating yourself? I don’t think you’re much of a threat, let alone getting in the way of my relationship with her.”
After he dressed himself up, he picked up the pillow and cast it to the bed casually while stating, “You’re getting picked on by others because you’re an imbecile fool.”
“Y-You…”
“Just stay put, okay?” After Zachary put on his pair of shoes, he walked out of the room.
Staring at his departing figure, Charlotte felt dejected deep down.
A few hours ago, he was being lovey-dovey with Sharon when they were in front of others. As soon as he left Sharon, he approached me and forced me into submission again. Why does Sharon get to enjoy the perks of announcing her identity as his loved one while I have to stay away from others as though I’m his mistress?
Charlotte felt awful whenever she thought about it and wished to end their relationship as soon as possible. However, she had no saying in their relationship at all.
She was confused by his action because he refused to stay away from her when he had such an exceptional woman by his side.
Knock! Knock! Suddenly, she heard someone knocking on the door. “Charlotte, I’m Lucy. Can I come in?”
“Hold on!” Charlotte got herself dressed immediately and answered the door after a few seconds. “Ms. Wright!”
“I’m searching for my USB drive. Have you seen it anywhere?” Lucy asked.
“I think it’s in the folder. I’ll go get it for you.” Charlotte returned to the bedroom and searched everywhere to locate the USB drive.
Meanwhile, Lucy stood right at the entrance because she dared not enter the room.
A few minutes later, Charlotte found the USB drive in her bag and murmured to herself, “It turns out you’re here.”
After Lucy took over the USB drive, she stated, “Great. I’ll hand it over to Ms. Blackwood. You should go ahead and get some rest.”
“Hasn’t she requested me to bring it over to her?” Charlotte blurted out the things she had in her mind without a second thought.
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“E-Er… She’s going to give you a hard time if you show up in her room. I’ll make something up and brush it off. Perhaps she’ll nag at me, but she will never mistreat me,” Lucy replied with her face puckered.
“It’s fine! I’ll tag along with you!” Charlotte put on her shoes immediately and said, “I have witnessed Ms. Blackwood’s temperament before. There’s no way I’ll allow you to go through such a tormenting experience alone when I’m the one she’s coming after.”
In the end, Charlotte departed with Lucy and made their way to Sharon’s room with the USB drive and a few documents.
To their surprise, Zachary was nowhere to be seen in Sharon’s room.
Meanwhile, Sharon, who had changed into a nightgown, slouched against the couch and enjoyed the glass of wine she had served herself. She placed her slender pair of legs on the coffee table, exuding a noble presence, superior to those present.
“Ms. Blackwood, here are the documents and the USB drive that has the proposal and the business plan of the project.” Lucy handed over the things to Sharon courteously.
“Thanks, please put it on the table…” Sharon instructed Lucy while she had her eyes glued to Charlotte.
“Y-Yes, Ms. Blackwood.” Lucy placed it on the coffee table. “Since there isn’t anything else, we’ll—”
“You’re free to leave, but I have something to talk about with Charlotte.” Sharon beckoned Charlotte over in a courteous manner as though she couldn’t wait to get Charlotte to join her.
Lucy looked at Charlotte with a frown because she was afraid of the upcoming session between the duo.
“Thanks!” Charlotte took a seat as suggested as though it wasn’t a big deal at all.
“If that’s the case, I’ll take my leave.” Prior to her departure, Lucy told Charlotte, “I want you to take note of Ms. Blackwood’s words, okay? If you need my help, feel free to give me a call.”
Charlotte beamed her reply and assured Lucy, “Yes, Ms. Wright. I’ll keep that in mind.”
After Lucy departed, the maid showed up and brought Charlotte a cup of coffee.
Once the coffee was served, Sharon beckoned the maid to leave them alone.
“Look at you—you seem to be having a great time, huh?”
Sharon finished her rhetorical question with an odd grin while staring at Charlotte indifferently.
“Ms. Blackwood, may I know what you wish to talk about?” Charlotte cut the small talk and got to the point immediately.
Similarly, Sharon sat upright and handed over the check she had prepared beforehand to Charlotte after she filled in the details and the amount.
The confused Charlotte asked, “What is this?”
Sharon replied in a scornful manner, “I have conducted simple market research and found out the cheapest hooker in town gets about a few hundred to a few thousand for each of their services. As for the influencers and the models, they get around eight thousand to ten thousand. The rookie celebrities get the most because they get paid tens of thousands for each of their services—”
Before she could finish her scornful remarks, Charlotte stopped her and queried, “I don’t get you! What is it about?”
After sizing Charlotte up, Sharon added, “As for you, I think the most you’ll get is ten thousand for each of your services. However, since Zachary has a thing for you, I can’t humiliate him for having bad taste.”
“For every intimate session you have with Zachary, I’ll give you a million as a token of appreciation for your hard work.” The arrogant woman leaned over and slapped Charlotte using the check after she made herself clear.
Charlotte pushed her away because she was infuriated by Sharon’s words. “That’s enough! You’re going overboard!”
“Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Why are you angry when you had so much fun with Zachary in the bathroom? You shouldn’t get ahead of yourself because you’re nothing but a tool for him to get rid of his lust!” Sharon started ridiculing Charlotte once again.
“Y-You—” When Charlotte was about to rebuke Sharon’s demeaning remarks, Zachary walked into the room.
The moment he noticed an anxious Charlotte facing the arrogant Sharon, he asked callously with a frown, “What are you doing here?”
Sharon got ahead of Charlotte and replied courteously, “She’s here to deliver the documents to me. I’m trying to compensate her for the loss Mr. White has caused her after her clothes got contaminated by the wine. But I don’t think she appreciates my effort at all!”
“That won’t be necessary because I’ll deal with my employees on my own!” Zachary took over the check and crumpled it before throwing it into the dustbin.
“Fine…” The pretentious Sharon leaned over and wrapped her arm around Zachary’s arm. She looked at Charlotte with a contemptuous look and asked, “Why aren’t you leaving yet?”
Charlotte was frustrated and her emotion was written all over her face. After she brought herself up, she strode her way out of the room.
“Hold on.” Sharon stopped Charlotte once more.
The frustrated woman brought herself to an abrupt halt, but she had her back facing the pretentious woman by the man’s side.
“Why don’t you join us in the banquet that will be held tonight?” Sharon offered generously, “I’ll get someone to send you an evening gown and get them to doll you up properly for the banquet.”
“Thanks, but no thanks!” Charlotte couldn’t wait to leave the room.
Sharon replied with a bright grin, “You don’t have to be so courteous whenever you’re around me! An old friend of yours will be joining us tonight! You should join us and meet with your friend once in a while!”
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Charlotte had no saying at all because Sharon would get to make the call on the former’s behalf as long as Zachary wasn’t against the idea.
After Charlotte returned to her room, she took things out on the pillows, throwing everything that was on the bed—including the linen—to the ground.
She felt as though she had turned into a loser after she got into a relationship with Zachary. Occasionally, she thought she was a mistress that would have to deal with the wrath of Sharon—Zachary’s legal spouse.
Nevertheless, she wasn’t his mistress because Zachary wasn’t married, and he had never publicly announced his relationship with Sharon.
As a matter of fact, she was not aware of Sharon’s presence.
Suddenly, Lucy’s voice could be heard, asking gently, “Charlotte? Are you in there? Your room isn’t locked. Can I come in?”
“Lucy! Are you going back? Can I tag along with you?” Charlotte brought up her request immediately because she couldn’t wait to leave the resort.
“I will be staying back because there are a few things that require my attention. I’ll be staying next door. We’ll spend a night here and return to the company tomorrow.”
“I guess we’ll have to do that…”
Lucy pointed in the direction of the entrance and said, “Ms. Blackwood has instructed someone to deliver you an evening gown.”
“Come in.” Charlotte had no intention to put the person in charge in a tight spot.
Two stylists brought the evening gown into the room, whereas the make-up artist that was behind them had a few delicate-looking boxes with her—including a few accessories and a pair of shoes to go along with the dress.
One of the trio asked cordially, “Ms. Windt, Ms. Blackwood has instructed us to bring this over to you. Are you free? Can we proceed with the make-up session?”
Charlotte glanced at the evening gown as she tried to make something up to turn down their request because she had no intention to be part of the so-called banquet.
Lucy whispered, “A lot of guests from the upper echelon and the corporate world will be joining us tonight. I don’t think Ms. Blackwood will try anything silly in front of them.”
“Since the ones involved are beyond my realm, I don’t think I have to be part of it.” Charlotte told the stylists and make-up artist, “Please express my utmost gratitude to her, but do tell Ms. Blackwood I won’t turn up at the banquet tonight.”
“Ms. Blackwood said if you don’t turn up at the banquet, we don’t have to return to her anymore.” The trio put on a pitiable front and stated in an aggrieved manner, “Ms. Windt, please have mercy on us because it is not easy to get a job these days…”
Charlotte gave in to their request again when she heard their words. “Fine…”
“I’ll have you doll yourself up while I head over and discuss something with Mr. Ben.” As soon as Lucy told Charlotte her upcoming agenda, she departed.
Charlotte was left behind with the trio, sitting in front of the dressing table, allowing them to work wonders with her look.
As she had just taken her shower a few hours ago, they wouldn’t have to wash her hair anymore. In order to get her hair styled, a simple blow dry was sufficient. Since she had flawless skin, they merely had to apply light make-up to highlight her ethereal facial features.
After they were done with her look, they helped her to get changed into the evening gown they had brought along for her.
As soon as Charlotte put it on, she stared at herself in the mirror wide-eyed. “What the heck is wrong with this exposing gown?”
The gown had a huge opening in the chest area, exposing her busty figure and her cleavage, covering only the most important parts of her body.
Although it was a gown with a train, it had a high split that was all the way up to her inner thigh. Should she fail to exercise caution, her undergarment would be exposed in front of others.
With that being said, it was a milky white gown, made out of velvety silk that felt great on the skin.
No ordinary woman could put on such a stunning piece because several criteria had to be fulfilled, including a busty figure, a curvy bottom, a skinny waist, and a porcelain-like skin.
Nevertheless, Charlotte fulfilled all the pre-condition for the stunning evening gown.
“Goodness gracious! Ms. Windt, this dress is perfect for you! To be honest, only a mere few on this planet fulfill the conditions to put on this dress, yet it seemed to have been custom made for you when you put it on!”
“She’s right, Ms. Windt! You’re so gorgeous!”
“You should stop wasting your time on the dull-looking formal wears when you have such great figures! Once you doll yourself up, I’m pretty sure you can charm any man you encounter in the banquet.”
The stylists wouldn’t stop complimenting Charlotte after she put on the evening gown.
Charlotte exclaimed in an acerbic tone, “Oh? Has Ms. Blackwood bestowed such a delicate piece on me when she’s aware of the fact not many people fulfill the condition to put on this gown? She’s such a generous woman!”
She looked at herself in the mirror and found herself embarrassing—she could merely cover the most important parts with her hair while most of her skin was exposed.
As someone who had always put on an ordinary set of outfits, she seemed to have morphed into the female protagonist of an adult movie. She could easily drive a man to the verge of losing control over their lust with her current look.
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One of the trio complimented with a bright grin, “Ms. Windt, Ms. Blackwood is doing this for you! This gown is a piece from a globally renowned designer and it cost her a fortune to purchase it some time ago. I’m sure she has given this gown to you because she wants you to steal the limelight during the banquet!”
Charlotte replied with a self-deprecating smirk, “I guess you’re right—she wants me to steal the limelight.”
She wants me to be the only different one in the banquet because she can’t wait for me to embarrass myself in front of the guests from the upper echelon and the corporate world! Perhaps she wants them to deem me a filthy slu*, unworthy of Zachary, and force Zachary into submission, leaving me due to peer pressure.
Charlotte wasn’t a fool—she figured the plan Sharon had in her mind the moment she put on the evening gown.
She gritted her teeth due to the grudges she held against Sharon deep down. However, when she gave it another thought, she thought it was a great opportunity for her to sever ties with Zachary.
Hence, she decided to play along with Sharon’s evil scheme so she could regain her freedom.
One of the trio suggested, “Great! Let’s try out the accessories we have brought along to go with the gown!”
They started matching the accessories they had with them and tried out several combinations to determine the best one.
Charlotte allowed them to carry out their duty and put on the pair of high heels they had prepared to go along with the gown.
After the trio completed dolling her up, Charlotte found herself odd and had a strange feeling about it because she seemed enchanting in an odd manner.
She wondered about the thoughts the men would have in their minds when they caught a glimpse of her sexy appearance.
“Charlotte, are you done yet?” Lucy knocked on the door and walked into the room, but she was completely stunned when she saw the woman in front of her. “T-This gown…”
“It looks great on Ms. Windt, doesn’t it?” The trio started complimenting the dress that seemed to be custom-made for Charlotte over and over again.
Lucy was about to say something, but the bodyguards knocked on the door and stated, “It’s about time to leave.”
“I believe you should get yourself a shawl to go along with the dress,” Lucy suggested in an attempt to help Charlotte.
“The shawl will ruin the flawless look of hers.” An arrogant voice could be heard from behind.
The trio moved aside as soon as they noticed the presence of Sharon.
Charlotte looked in the direction of the entrance and noticed Sharon had put on a beige color mermaid dress that could highlight her slender figure. Although she wasn’t a sexy woman, she exuded a noble presence.
As compared to the sexy-looking Charlotte, Sharon seemed to be an honorable princess of a modern-day fairy tale.
The pretentious Sharon made use of Charlotte’s oddly enchanting look as a benchmark to portray the superiority of her noble and elegant look.
Sharon sized Charlotte up over and over again. She responded with a satisfied look and denoted, “You’re so gorgeous, Charlotte! The gown looks great on you, but your make-up is nowhere close to those of a man’s liking. You should apply more make-up to highlight your look.”
“Do you need us to work on that?” One of the stylists asked.
“Let’s forget about it because I don’t think we have time for that anymore. Oh! Bring along the make-up kit and apply some crimson lipstick to highlight her lips while we’re on the way to the venue!” she chuckled and stated while she had her eyes glued to Charlotte.
“Sure!” The stylists took note of Sharon’s instruction and departed with their make-up kit.
Lucy suggested cautiously, “Seriously? Isn’t that slightly over the top? I think Charlotte looks great!”
“You know nothing, Lucy! It’s necessary to have crimson lips to go along with the look!” Sharon turned around with a vicious smirk on her face after she explained the rationale behind her decision.
“I’ll be waiting for all of you downstairs! Hurry up, okay?” Immediately after she announced her departure, she sashayed her way down the stairs.
Staring at Sharon’s departing figure, Charlotte sneered deep down and cursed her for being a pretentious woman.
“Why don’t you get in touch with Mr. Nacht and make something up to get yourself out of the tight spot?” Lucy whispered with a frowned look.
“Nope! I have to be there to fulfill her wish! I can’t possibly let her down, can I?” Charlotte gritted her teeth and responded with a rhetorical question.
“What?” Lucy was clueless about Charlotte’s actual goal.
“It’s nothing! Let’s go!”
Charlotte dragged Lucy down the stairs with her because she was determined to play along with Sharon with one goal in her mind—she wanted to disgust Zachary and get him to chase her away.
She was certain as long as he was the one who brought up the request to break up, he would forget about the compensation worthy of a hundred million.
Instead, she might get him to compensate her for her loss.
“Charlotte, this gown is—”
Halfway through Lucy’s sentence, Charlotte’s long hair was caressed by a gentle breeze, exposing her busty figure that was covered by her charcoal black hair.
Coincidentally, Ben was walking towards Charlotte. He had his eyes widened in disbelief while blood gushed out of his nostrils.
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The dumbstruck Lucy pointed at Ben and said, “E-Err… Mr. Ben, your nose…”
Sharon giggled and teased, “Hahaha! Ben, you have never behaved as such before! I guess you’re a man after all, huh?”
Ben panicked and covered his nose while turning around to touch up on his appearance. He was grateful Zachary wasn’t around.
Otherwise, he would be doomed. Perhaps Zachary would scoop his eyes out of his sockets for desecrating Charlotte.
Meanwhile, Charlotte couldn’t be bothered by Ben’s response at all. She glanced around and noticed Zachary wasn’t around.
“Where’s Zachary?” Sharon queried with a smile.
“Mr. Nacht has headed over the venue in advance. He has sent me to pick you guys up.” Ben looked elsewhere while replying.
“You should take Charlotte and her party with you. I’ll head over with my own car.” Sharon beamed her instruction along with a smirk that indicated her plan to matchmake the duo.
“E-Er—”
Sharon had boarded her car and departed before Ben could stop her.
As a result, Ben invited Charlotte and Lucy to board the Rolls-Royce Phantom that was parked nearby.
After they boarded the car, Ben took a seat in the front passenger seat and avoided looking in the direction of Charlotte.
Lucy was on pins and needles due to the awkward situation and the things that might be in store for Charlotte.
Charlotte was relatively calm, enjoying the scene as they were on their way to the venue—she couldn’t wait for Sharon to achieve her goal, so she could get Zachary to leave her as soon as possible.
She could then proceed to leave Divine Corporation and start a new life in another city with Mrs. Berry and her children by her side.
Since she had the fortune that was left behind by her late father, she could easily live a carefree life with her children for the rest of their lives.
Charlotte had everything sorted out in her mind, including a flawless plan to sustain their lifestyles. She would start a bakery with Mrs. Berry and allow her children to savor the cakes that were prepared because they were huge fans of cakes.
As a family of five, they would spend the rest of their life, living a blissful and simple life by one another’s side.
While Charlotte’s thoughts wandered everywhere, exploring the countless possibilities after leaving Zachary, they finally reached the banquet hall of Ashenville Garden.
It was a breezy night—the moment Charlotte alighted from the car, the train of her gown started billowing due to the gentle breeze.
Immediately, she placed her hand on her gown to stop the dress. For a few seconds, she resembled the look of Marilyn Monroe in the classic movie.
Suddenly, a flash beamed.
Charlotte raised her head and looked in the direction of the flash and noticed a handsome foreign man had snapped the photos of her without her consent.
The man flushed embarrassedly because he was caught red-handed. He showed Charlotte her phone, indicating he had deleted the photos he took.
Since it wasn’t a big deal, Charlotte paid no heed to the man and walked into the venue with Lucy by her side.
Shortly, Sharon showed up with a vicious grin and teased, “Charlotte, what do you think of the gown I have prepared for you? Look! You have stolen the limelight and attracted the attention of the men! I still think you should have applied heavier make-up. What’s wrong with your lips? Didn’t they bring along the lipstick?”
Along with Lucy and Ben, who were by Charlotte’s side, the trio kept quiet at that score. However, Sharon couldn’t be bothered at all because she had achieved her goal.
The guests were led into the banquet hall that was flamboyantly decorated with countless chandeliers that acted as the sole source of illumination in the spacious hall.
Guests who had decked out in their most ostentatious finery each had a glass of champagne. They gathered around, engaging themselves in a conversation with their kinds in the hall, accompanied by classical pieces in the background.
As soon as Sharon entered the hall, she grabbed the attention of the guests who had reached the venue ahead of her. A lot of them strode their way over to greet her, expressing their courtesy.
A few of the guests whispered, inquiring about Charlotte’s identity when they spotted her because she made her way into the venue right after Sharon’s appearance.
Sharon lunged Charlotte over and introduced her to everyone, “This is my friend, Charlotte. I have brought her along with me because she rarely gets to be part of such a grand event. Please take good care of her, guys!”
Charlotte started cursing Sharon for being a hypocrite again.
Excuse me? How dare she talk about me when I’m right by her side? She’s indicating I’m an ignorant country bumpkin who has nothing but a gorgeous look!
“She’s such a gorgeous woman!” A few men surrounded Sharon and invited her to join them for a dance.
“She doesn’t know how to dance!” Charlotte was about to turn them down, but a man’s voice could be heard, answering on her behalf before she could respond to their invitation.
Immediately after the man got her out of the tight spot, she could feel a pair of hands on her shoulders as the man placed his blazer over her.
Due to the presence of the man behind her, Charlotte’s eyes widened in disbelief when she turned around.
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“Michael!” Sharon exclaimed in shock and queried, “What are you doing here?”
“What’s with your response? Am I not allowed to be here?”
Michael had put on a simple yet elegant-looking sage set of outfits for the banquet, but it couldn’t conceal the fact he was a handsome man.
The man, who had an androgynous appearance, had acquired the attention of the women that were around.
“No! Of course not! Are you guys acquainted?” Sharon asked with a peculiar smile, glancing at Michael and Charlotte.
Michael wrapped his arm around Charlotte’s waist and declared, “She’s a childhood friend of mine, and we used to be course mates back in our university days. I guess you can consider me her guardian!”
“I see! It’s just like Zachary and me!” Sharon replied with a bright grin.
Sharon would constantly remind Charlotte of her extraordinary relationship with Zachary.
When Sharon brought up Zachary in front of the duo, Charlotte recalled the deal she had with Zachary—she promised him she would stay away from Michael in the future.
If the Devil is conscious Michael’s here, I think he’s going to lose control over himself again…
Charlotte inched away from Michael and shrugged his hand off her waist when she thought about it.
Michael was taken aback by her action—disappointment was written all over her face.
“Since you’re here to keep Charlotte company, I will leave both of you alone.” Sharon smiled and sashayed in the direction of the crowd.
Ben went after Sharon because he would have to return to Zachary’s side.
Similarly, Lucy went after the departing duo after she glanced at Charlotte.
Charlotte was about to leave, but Michael got ahead of her and stopped her. “Charlotte, we need to talk.”
She shrugged him off and stated in a low voice, “Michael, have you forgotten your promise to stay away from me?”
“E-Er…” Michael’s stiff hand was left hanging around in the middle of the air embarrassedly while his face turned gloomy in disappointment.
“I’m sorry…” Charlotte avoided his gaze and apologized.
After she walked away from Michael, she spotted a familiar silhouette that was a few feet away from her—Zachary peered at her in the eyes while he was surrounded by a few noble-looking corporate players.
They seemed to be in the middle of a conversation. Holding on to his glass of champagne, Zachary would occasionally reply to them, yet he wouldn’t move his eyes away from Charlotte.
As he was aware of her interaction with Michael a short while ago, he cast a stern gaze at her.
Charlotte lowered her head and avoided the man’s gaze, bringing herself to the back of the banquet hall as soon as possible because she had enough of the guests’ odd gazes.
Although she had her sight on the ground, she could feel the onlookers’ attention on her as she marched through the spacious hall.
The guests had one thing in common—a scornful look on their faces. While sizing her up repetitively, they made fun of Charlotte and thought she was another gold digger, with an ulterior goal.
When Charlotte reached the back of the hall, she heard the conversation of a few maids.
“She doesn’t belong here! Look at the ridiculous gown she has put on!”
“I think she’s one of the micro-influencers who’s willing to sacrifice everything and anything as long as she gets to become a member of the upper echelon.”
“You’re right! She must be showing her chest and her thigh to seduce the guests that are around! Otherwise, why would she put on such an exposing outfit?”
“I don’t get it! How did such a country bumpkin manage to earn the right to be invited to such an exclusive banquet?”
“She doesn’t belong to the upper echelon! I wonder who’s the one behind her?”
“I saw her with Ms. Blackwood a few minutes ago! We should mind our words because we can’t afford to offend Ms. Blackwood.”
“Ms. Blackwood is such a kind woman. I think she must have been deceived by the cunning and filthy woman!”
“Yes! I think that’s the case!”
…
Charlotte couldn’t take it anymore. She trod away from the hall as fast as she could. Her absence wouldn’t impact the progress of the banquet at all.
All she needed was to kill her time in an isolated space. Once the banquet was over, she would leave with Lucy.
There were only a few people at the back of the banquet hall, including a few servers and a few staff that were in charge of the flow of the banquet.
Charlotte found an empty lounge and was about to make her way in to take a breather from the cruel, harsh world. But when she reached the doorstep, she heard the voices of two women.
“What the hell is wrong with you? How could you hurt yourself right before the performance? Don’t you know how important this banquet is? Are you trying to mess with me on purpose?”
“No! Ms. Goldstein! I didn’t mean it!” The girl started weeping and explained herself, “W-When I passed by the banquet hall, I accidentally bumped into someone called Ms. Blackwood. As a result, she became infuriated and pushed me away from her with all her might. I-I bumped into another server, causing the server to spill her tray of drink to the ground. After I fell to the ground, Ms. Blackwood…”
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“She stepped on my hand without a second thought! There were shattered pieces of glasses everywhere on the ground! I-I…” She couldn’t finish her sentence as she started sniffling convulsively.
“Stop looking for excuses to justify your carelessness!” Ms. Goldstein reprimanded the woman and warned her, “No matter what, the show has to go on because the guests are the bigshots from the upper echelon and the corporate world! If you can’t think of something by then, you won’t get to stay in the industry anymore.”
“I-I…”
“I’ll get the violinists to perform ahead of you! I want you to deal with it by hook or by crook!”
Charlotte heard the clicking voice of Ms. Goldstein’s high heels. She knew the fierce woman would stride out of the lounge soon.
Immediately, she stepped aside and saw Ms. Goldstein with a black suit walking out of the room, heading towards the powder room that was diagonally opposite the lounge. The fierce-looking Ms. Goldstein clapped her hands and announced, “Violinists! Please get yourself ready because you’ll be performing on stage three minutes later!”
Charlotte turned around and peered into the lounge, spotting the presence of a good-looking woman wailing as she stepped aside from the partition. She could barely pull herself together while her trembling hand bled excessively.
She had no choice but to tend to her wounds by herself. It was a heart-wrenching scene to watch.
After she retrieved the first-aid kit, she tried to open it with her elbow since her palms were gravely injured. Unfortunately, her effort was to no avail—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t open it.
Charlotte entered the room and offered, “Allow me to help you.”
The injured woman was confused by Charlotte’s presence. Shortly, she nodded and expressed her gratitude, “Thank you!”
After Charlotte opened the first-aid kit, she reached for the iodine to sterilize the woman’s injured palm before picking the shattered pieces of glasses out of her wounds using the tweezers.
The woman wouldn’t stop trembling due to the racking sensation she felt, but she pursed her lips and resisted the urge to wail. Nevertheless, torrents of grief streamed down her cheeks continuously.
“You need to get a doctor to tend to your wounds!” Literally, Charlotte could feel the woman’s pain when she saw her wounded palm. “No! We can’t delay any further! I’ll bring you to the hospital at once! Otherwise, your hand will be crippled for the rest of your life!”
“No! I can’t leave! If I mess up the show, it will be the end of my career!” The girl wailed and begged Charlotte, “Please bind my hand and see if you can stop the bleeding. I’ll put on a pair of gloves and brace myself through the performance.”
“Have you lost your mind? How are you going to play the piano when you’re in such a pathetic state?” Charlotte was heartbroken and enraged because another innocent woman had fallen victim to Sharon again. “Sharon has gone overboard again!”
“It was merely an accident, but she pushed me with all her might when she barely budged. It wasn’t even a serious knock. I don’t mind being blamed, but how could she step on my hand when there were shattered glasses everywhere?”
The woman started trembling in anger and wailed hysterically to vent her emotions.
“It hurt so much! I begged her to be merciful, but she had no intention to stop! Instead, she went all out and moved her foot around feverishly. If the woman beside her didn’t stop her in the nick of time, my hand would be…”
“It’s fine. Let’s forget about it, okay?” Charlotte wiped the woman’s tear dry and suggested, “Is it fine for me to take your role to perform on the stage?”
“Are you serious? Do you know how to play the piano?” The woman was dumbfounded by Charlotte’s suggestion.
“Mmm… Can you hand over the sheet music to me? I’ll perform on your behalf.” Charlotte comforted the injured woman and asserted, “Don’t worry. I used to win several globally renowned awards when I was abroad. I had experiences performing on several formal occasions as well. In my humble opinion, I think I’ll make the cut for the job.”
“Ms. Goldstein can tell us apart from one another, can’t she?” The woman expressed her concerns.
“So what? She merely needs someone to perform on the stage and get the job done! As long as I don’t embarrass her in front of others, I think she’s going to turn a blind eye for once.”
“You’re right! Thank you so much! You have saved my day!” The woman found the sheet music and handed it over to Charlotte, expressing her utmost gratitude over and over again.
Staring at the woman’s white-laced dress, Charlotte stated, “You’re welcome. First things first, we need to get changed.”
The woman nodded. “I’ll change into my set of casual outfits because I don’t think I can fit into this stunning piece of yours. I think it’s a designer piece, isn’t it? Allow me to hold on to it for you. I need you to return this to me once you’re done performing on stage because I have to return it to Ms. Goldstein.”
“Okay.”
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Charlotte closed the door and put on the white-laced dress the woman passed her without further ado.
Although the woman wasn’t a match for Charlotte in terms of figures, they were of the same height. Therefore, Charlotte could easily put on the dress.
However, the initially simple-looking dress morphed into an elegant-looking gown as soon as Charlotte put it on.
To prevent others from recognizing her, Charlotte found a piece of white-laced cloth and made it into a face veil to go along with the dress. Her glistering eyes were the only facial feature that was visible to the public.
“That’s a brilliant idea! I don’t think they can tell the difference now!” The woman exclaimed in excitement.
“I want you to stay here and wait for me, okay? I’ll return to you once I’m done with the performance.” Charlotte urged the injured woman to take care of herself and handed over the purse she had to her. “Please take care of these on my behalf.”
“Okay!” The woman nodded vigorously because she was thrilled. “Miss, what’s your name? I’m a student at H City Music Academy. My name is Olivia, Olivia Peyton.”
“My name is Charlotte.” As Charlotte introduced herself, they heard the sound of someone knocking on the door. A few seconds later, Ms. Goldstein’s deadpan voice could be heard. “Why have you locked the door, Olivia? Are you sure you’re giving up on such a rare opportunity?”
Olivia got anxious all of a sudden. She whispered and asked, “What should we do?”
“It’s fine! Let’s play along with her!” Charlotte stuffed the first-aid kit behind the partition and told Olivia to stay put until her return. Then, she proceeded to leave with the sheet music.
“What the heck are you up to?” When Ms. Goldstein saw Charlotte, she thought the woman in front of her was Olivia. “What’s going on with the face veil? What about your hand?”
When she lowered her gaze to check on the performer’s wounds, she noticed the woman in front of her wasn’t injured at all. However, she had a huge scab on the back of her left hand.
“Y-You…” Ms. Goldstein was confused.
“I’ll be heading over to the stage now.” Charlotte strode over to the banquet hall before Ms. Goldstein could grasp the situation.
The fierce-looking woman went after her and yelled, “W-Who are you? You better don’t mess up the performance!”
Immediately after the violinists’ performance, Charlotte walked up the stage with the sheet music.
“H-Hey!” Ms. Goldstein was about to stop Charlotte, but she couldn’t make it in time because the spotlight was switched on once again. She left the stage and stomped her feet anxiously in fear of things getting to the point of no return.
After Charlotte bowed at the crowd, she took her seat and started running her fingers across the piano, playing the classic piano piece by Maksim Mrvica—”Croatian Rhapsody.”
The guests of the banquet were impressed by the classic piece and turned around to check on the talented pianist on the stage.
Every note of the legato music was woven with such beauty as she ran her fingers lightly over the keys, bestowing the classical piece another chance to shine.
The guests of the banquet were bigshots of the upper echelon. As they spent most of their time listening to the performance of world-class pianists, they could easily tell the good from the bad.
Initially, they thought they wouldn’t be surprised since the banquet had invited a bunch of students from several institutions to perform on stage. However, they were thrilled by the pleasant surprise of the world-grade performance that came out of the blue.
One of the guests approached Ms. Goldstein and asked, “May I know the name of the pianist who’s performing? Her performance is marvelous!”
Ms. Goldstein was dumbstruck for a few seconds. Shortly after she returned to her senses, she inquired, “E-Er… S-She’s a student from a local institution… What do you think of her performance?”
“It’s amazing! To be frank, this is a world-class performance!” The guest couldn’t help but exclaim because he was utterly overwhelmed.
“Huh? Are you serious?”
Ms. Goldstein was no expert because she could barely play a musical instrument. Therefore, she was shocked when she received positive feedback from the guest. She glanced at the guests in the hall and noticed no one was in a conversation anymore—they couldn’t move their eyes away from the pianist that was on the stage.
She heaved a sigh of relief and felt as though a boulder had been lifted off her shoulders. A few seconds later, she grinned because things turned out to be fine.
I don’t care who she is as long as the show goes on smoothly!
Meanwhile, Olivia, who was at the back of the hall, stopped frowning and started bandaging her wounded palm when she heard the melodic tune being played.
…
In the center of the banquet hall, Zachary, who was surrounded by all sorts of people, turned around and looked in the direction of the stage.
He found the pianist on the stage to be familiar, especially her remarkable skills and glistering pair of eyes.
Zachary couldn’t help but recall his encounter with a masked Charlotte back when he was in Bar DTT.
He couldn’t recognize the woman who was in the bar, but he wouldn’t allow her to deceive him for another time.
As he spotted the scab that was on the back of the pianist’s left hand, he knew the woman on the stage was Charlotte because Sharon once stepped on the former’s hand some time ago.
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The melodic tune of the piano echoed in the spacious hall. The guests felt as though they were on cloud nine as the music guided them to a trip down memory lane, back to their carefree days.
The guests in the hall paused and indulged themselves, listening to the euphonic tune produced by the skillful pianist. The performance, which was never meant to be the highlight of the banquet, grabbed the attention of the guests as though they were there for an exclusive performance of a renowned pianist.
On the other end of the hall, another pair of glistening, aqua blue eyes could be seen staring at Charlotte affectionately. The man seemed to be surprised and delighted at the same time.
After Michael indulged himself in the harmonious piece for a short while, he looked elsewhere and headed to the back of the hall to locate Charlotte because he wasn’t aware she was the mysterious pianist.
…
Soon, loud applause erupted in the banquet hall after the first piece ended.
Charlotte got up from the seat and bowed at the audience before continuing with the second piece—Grande valse Brillante in E-flat major by Chopin.
The euphonic tune of the piece gave off the impression of a deeply in love lady dancing ballet by the lake while waiting for the arrival of her loved one.
As Charlotte reached the climax of the piece, the guests started swaying rhythmically along with the euphonic tune, smiling because they had a great time enjoying the music.
Zachary, who was known for being an indifferent man, had his lips curved upwards, forming a gentle smile.
Previously, when he was in the bar, he didn’t have the chance to enjoy the show. He noticed the woman he deemed ignorant wasn’t a complete fool—at least she was a skillful pianist.
“I don’t get it! What’s so great about it? She’s but an undergraduate from a local music institution! The tune irks me so much!” Sharon murmured while she was by Zachary’s side.
“There are only a mere few on this planet that possess such top-notch skills, yet you’re considering this to be irritating? I guess you’re the one who can’t grasp the concept behind the music!” Zachary remarked sarcastically with a contemptuous look.
“N-No, Zachary… I-I—”
“Shoosh!” Zachary stopped Sharon because he didn’t want her to ruin the blissful moment anymore.
Sharon had no choice but to keep her mouth shut tight as instructed, but she felt frustrated deep down.
Meanwhile, Charlotte continued playing the third piece after the second piece. The third piece was Liebesträume by Franz Liszt.
Halfway through the prelude of the piece, Charlotte got anxious because she noticed the sheet music had been torn in half.
Although she used to play this particular piece, she could barely recall the notes because it had been four years since she last played the piano.
She had long forgotten the notes and couldn’t recall the notes after the prelude.
Oh, God! What should I do?
She managed to pull it through the prelude, but the sheet music for the postlude was nowhere to be seen. Eventually, she braced herself and started playing according to the tune she had in her mind.
Soon, she noticed something was wrong.
Albeit faintly, the audience could detect the error because the current piece was nothing similar to the previous two flawless pieces. The guests who had been indulging themselves started frowning in irritation and started whispering to one another.
Charlotte couldn’t keep her cool anymore, but when she wondered if she should stop, a pair of slender hands showed up and started playing the piano by her side.
The man was on par with Charlotte in terms of skills. Apart from that, he was familiar with the sheet music of the particular piece and didn’t have to refer to the sheet music to recite the piece.
Charlotte soon regained the pace under the mysterious man’s guidance.
The duo started playing the piano together, waltzing their finger through the keys as though they had known each other for a long time.
She was glad things turned out to be fine, but when she raised her head and looked at the man by her side, she was shocked.
The man was a handsome lad with ethereal facial features, including porcelain-like skin and a pair of aqua blue, glistering eyes.
He emanated a majestic presence, behaving as though he was the prince of a kingdom who had just made his way into the mundane world out of ancient mythology.
The man turned around and beamed with pleasure, causing Charlotte’s heart to skip a beat.
As she started spacing out, the man gestured her focus on the keys with his chin.
She finally returned to her senses and focused intently on playing the piano.
Once again, the crowd started applauding the duo for the fantastic performance.
In the meantime, Zachary winced at the man’s presence. He stared at the duo on the stage with a frown.
Sharon craned over and whispered, “Zachary, is that…”