Ch. 531..540

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 531

“I can’t believe that I’m going to be a dad at age three-and-a-half,” Jamie lamented. “How am I to raise a kid when I don’t even have a job yet.”

“Don’t worry, Jamie, I’ll give you a hand with that,” Robbie said as he patted his brother reassuringly on the shoulder. “I’m going to be the kid’s uncle, after all.”

“Yeah. I’ll share my snacks and toys with them, and my skirt too,” Ellie chimed in as she regarded her brother with seriousness.

“Them?” The boy’s eyes widened in horror. “Is Ms. Wiklund going to bear me triplets?”

“She might,” Robbie analyzed with a poker face. “According to the study of genetics, there’s a hereditary component to multiple births. Since we are triplets, we are also likely to conceive triplets ourselves in the future.”

“Good grief…” Jamie was shell-shocked. “What am I going to do?”

“Three lineal kin. Would I have enough pocket money to go around?” Ellie said as she counted on her fingers. “Oh no, I’m short.”

“Me too.” The situation seemed quite dire the more Robbie thought about it. “It looks like we might need to ask Mommy and Mrs. Berry for help.”

“Ugh, I’m never kissing another girl again.” His brother was distraught. “No more girlfriends for me either.”

“That’s good to know.” Robbie patted him on the shoulder. “I’m afraid Uncle Zack’s villa might run out of room if you were to keep this up.”

“Yeah. Even the limousine couldn’t fit all of them.” Ellie pouted as she solemnly reminded him. “If they were to attend kindergarten with us, I think we’ll have enough numbers to form one class between your kids and ourselves.”

“Ugh…” Jamie had his head in his hands. The thought of that scene made him want to cry in despair.

“What’s the matter?” Charlotte and Zachary asked as they came down the steps.

Zachary was dressed in something more comfortable, and he had an arm around her.

They were a little worried when they saw the children so gravely immersed in a discussion.

“I messed up, Mommy!” Jamie choked up. “I won’t casually kiss girls or make them my girlfriends anymore.”

“Huh? What’s going on?” Charlotte asked.

“Jamie went and kissed Ms. Wiklund.” Ellie complained as she trotted over on her stumpy legs. “The teacher’s going to be pregnant. His kids are going to become our classmates, and he’s afraid he won’t be able to afford them…”

“Pfft!” Charlotte coughed.

“Hahaha…” Zachary burst into laughter. “Who told you that one kiss would make anyone a father?”

“Robbie did.” Ellie looked to her older brother, all wide-eyed.

“I’ve inferred it from a book I read.” Robbie began to gesticulate as he broke it down for them. “When the male and female behave intimately, pregnancy can occur. That’s what the source material said.”

“…” Charlotte was nonplussed and was at a loss as to how to explain this.

“That’s kind of true, except that it only applies to adults. All of you are too young to conceive,” Zachary patiently explained as he carried Robbie and Ellie to the couch.

“Really?” Jamie’s brows perked up. “Does that mean that Ms. Wiklund’s going to be fine?”

“Of course she will be,” Zachary answered in earnest. “Intimacy means something different when a child and an adult kiss. However, you shouldn’t start kissing girls wantonly. It’ll be hard to change when you grow up should you ever make a habit of that.”

“Understood.” Jamie nodded profusely. “I’ll stop randomly kissing girls and getting girlfriends.”

“That’s the spirit.” Zachary then ruffled his mild curls. “It’s good to share things with grownups, so we could encourage you if you did something positive, and should you make a mistake, we can all try to work together to set things right.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 532

“Okay, thank you Uncle Zack.” Jamie nodded gratefully.

“Uncle Zack, there’s a boy at school who said he likes me and wants to be friends. He gave me this today.”

She produced a little red flower from her bag. It was a paper-craft made by that kid, with the name “Elisa” written on it.

Apparently, a lot of effort went into it.

“Would you like to be friends with him?” Zachary asked gently.

“I don’t know him very well as we’re not from the same class,” Ellie replied. She tilted her head and seemed to be thinking very hard. “He’s kind of cute though.”

“If you don’t know someone that well, then you shouldn’t accept his present,” Zachary said. “You should return the gift to him. Tell him that since all of you are schoolmates, you could all play together.”

“Alright, got it.” Ellie nodded obediently. She then carefully placed the little red flower back inside her bag.

“How about you? Do you have anything interesting to share?” Zachary asked as he turned his attention to Robbie.

“I think that the stuff that is being taught is too elementary.” The boy shrugged. “Every day, I just look forward to coming home and attending online lessons, even though their content’s pretty straightforward too. I have since had a chat with the teacher, who has started to share new stuff with me.”

Zachary’s brows raised in surprise when he heard that. “I’ll attend the online lesson with you and assess your progress so that I may adjust your learning scope accordingly.”

“Okay.” Robbie was excited and anticipatory. “Thank you, Uncle Zack!”

“Don’t forget about me.” Jamie raised his hand and waved to draw attention to himself. “You promised to teach me martial arts.”

“And me too.” Ellie squeezed herself in front with her hand held up high as well. “You told me you were going to teach me how to sing, dance and draw.”

“Sure, sure. I’ll definitely do everything I can to fulfill my promises.” He then took a quick glance at his wrist. “We’ll start at seven-thirty!”

“Yay!” The three children cheered in unison as they looked forward to their night lessons.

“Gather round everyone. Dinner’s ready.”

By this time, Mrs. Berry laid out the sumptuous spread of dinner with the assistance of the butler, Mrs. Rawlston and a few helpers.

Mrs. Rawlston was concerned that Mrs. Berry might be tiring herself out. “You’ve already done the cooking. Do wash up and prepare to have dinner yourself. You can leave the rest to me.”

“In that case, thank you.” Mrs. Berry then loosened her apron. “Come along now, children. I’ll take you to the sink.”

“Okay.” Robbie and Ellie sprinted over with Jamie playing catch-up in his wheelchair behind. “Hey, wait for me.”

Three nurses immediately approached to help.

Charlotte felt all warm and fuzzy inside seeing how lively the house was. This was the kind of family life she coveted, simple but cozy.

“A penny for your thoughts?” Zachary asked as he pinched her cheek lightly.

“I feel so blessed.” Charlotte leaned in and hugged him tightly. “Thank you…”

“Silly you,” Zachary responded by kissing her on top of her head. “Which reminds me. We should hold a family meeting after dinner.”

“A family meeting?” Charlotte was mystified.

“It’s about time the kids knew who I am. We can’t have them calling me “Uncle” anymore,” he said solemnly. “And you should stop calling me Gigolo as well. It’s a bad influence on them.”

“Then what should I call you instead?”

“Hubby, for starters,” Zachary commanded.

“Pfft——” A flush crept across Charlotte’s cheeks as she buried her face in her hands. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“We’ll take it slow, with a bit of practice.” Zachary cupped her face and instructed in earnest. “Take my lead, Hub…!”

“Hub…!” went Charlotte compliantly.

“…By!”

“….By!”

“Hubby!”

“Hubby!”

“Yes!”

Zachary affirmed it positively.

Charlotte chuckled. She was left red to the ear, and could only lean her forehead into his chest to hide her embarrassment.

“Good girl!”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 533

The dishes served by Mrs. Berry were all favorites of the children and Charlotte. These were complemented by a few French flavors prepared by Mrs. Rawlston.

Everyone within the household was buzzing when they took their respective places at the table.

Mrs. Berry spoke self-consciously. “I understood from Mrs. Rawlston that you enjoy French fare so I’ve asked her to prepare some. I don’t know how to make them, but I’ll be learning from her starting tomorrow. Hopefully, I’ll be able to make some for you next time.”

“It’s fine, Mrs. Berry. I’d like to try some of your own specialty too.”

Zachary pulled out a chair for Charlotte before he took his own place by her side.

“Alright then. Let me know if you like them.”

Mrs. Berry placed a piece of beef into Zachary’s plate.

“Thank you.” Zachary nodded in appreciation as he savored it. “It’s really good.”

“Really? I’m so glad to hear that.” Mrs. Berry beamed. “I was a little worried that you might not be used to my cooking.”

“I like it.” After he got Charlotte a piece as well, he turned back to find Mrs. Berry and the children looking at him. “Well don’t just sit there watching, go on ahead and help yourself to the food too.”

“We’re digging in now, Uncle Zack, Mommy, Mrs. Berry!”

The children then tucked in and marveled at Mrs. Berry’s fantastic culinary skills.

Mrs. Berry was extremely pleased, and reiterated her desire to avoid the hospital so that she may stay at home in order to continue cooking for the family.

Charlotte filled up a bowl with soup and beseech the older woman to take care of her own health so that she may be better able to watch the children grow.

The housekeeper smiled with a tear in her eye as she nodded.

Although Zachary ate quietly, his demeanor was unusually affable.

Enjoying a meal together with a large family like this was something that he had never experienced for as long as he could remember.

In all his twenty-eight years, he had more or less grown accustomed to a solitary existence.

The atmosphere was dreary even during the occasions he was with his grandfather.

His upbringing under Henry was strict, with countless rules set out for him to adhere to. Amongst them, were the forbidding of conversation and laughter during mealtimes.

For him, this conversely joyous and harmonious vibe better characterized how family life ought to be.

After dinner, Zachary took the kids out to the children’s play area.

Charlotte had not stepped outside the house over the past couple of days. She was aware that a clinic was built to the rear of the house, but did not know about the play area that had been added to the garden.

The sight of it almost had the three children jumping for joy.

Robbie and Ellie were first in as they scampered ahead, leaving Jamie to shout after them, “Wait. I want to play too.”

“Hey Jamie, shall we go over to the swing?” Mildred coaxed.

“I wanna go on the slide,” the boy replied as he pointed to the lofty spiraling structure.

Robbie and Ellie were already up top. Their arms were spread wide as they screamed in exhilaration all the way down.

Mildred had her reservations. “You could aggravate your leg on that as it hasn’t fully recovered yet.”

“It’s fine. Let him try,” Zachary said. “A boy doesn’t need to be coddled.”

“Understood.” The nurse wheeled Jamie over and mindfully helped him up.

“You can let go. I can do this myself.”

The boy kept his hands to the sides of the steps for support as he lugged himself up with some difficulty.

“I’m up, I’m up!”

Jamie’s arms shot up in triumphant fashion, cleanly forgotten about his own injury. That made him lose his balance and caused him to topple over the side of the stairs.

“Ah——” Charlotte and Mrs. Berry let out a blood-curdling shriek.

As Jamie tumbled toward the ground, a shadowy figure blazed across and caught him securely.

The boy was ashen-faced and breathed heavily as he reclined inside Zachary’s arms. He began to choke up from the ordeal. “Ugh, Uncle Zack…”

“That was nothing. Big boys like you shouldn’t cry,” Zachary said authoritatively.

“Yes, sir.” Jamie pursed his lips as he forced back his tears. “Thanks Uncle Zack!”

“Call me Dad,” Zachary said.

“Dad!” The boy’s mouth was left agape when those words were uttered.

 

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 534

“Good lad!” Zachary patted his head while he set him back on his feet. “Now run along. Boys must be brave.”

“Understood.” Jamie seemed to have grown in confidence spontaneously, as though his leg no longer hurt and his fear had dissipated. He got right back at attempting another ascent on his gimpy leg.

The peak seemed so distant that it felt a little intimidating. His leg noticeably quivered.

“Go for it. I got your back,” Zachary called out in encouragement.

“Alright.” Jamie gritted his teeth as he turned back to the steps with renewed determination. He continued to climb.

This time, the boy was not afraid anymore, as he knew someone would be there to catch him should he fall.

Charlotte was profoundly moved by this scene. As competent a mother as she was about caring for and educating her children, she understood that there was no replacement for a father figure in their lives.

In spite of his inexperience with children, Zachary had the ability to instill patience and confidence in them, as well as have them rub off the fortitude of his masculinity.

Charlotte cussed at herself for having doubted his capability to be a good father. It would seem that her worries were for naught, as his attentiveness to her children had exceeded every expectation.

“I want to ride on the swing, Uncle Zack. Would you push me?”

Ellie acted coquettishly as she wanted some of the man’s attention for herself too.

“Sure,” he replied as he extended his arms. “Jump down. I’ll catch you.”

“It’s so high. I’m scared.”

Her stumpy legs retreated from the edge as her little hands continued to grip tightly onto the guardrail.

“I’ll go first!” Robbie seized the initiative to launch himself over with aplomb.

Zachary corralled him right away and rubbed his head. “You nearly caught me off guard there. What do you think could have happened if I wasn’t ready for you?”

“I had faith that you’ll definitely come get me.”

Robbie had begun to gravitate toward Zachary, as he felt the man could teach him to become more courageous.

“Good lad!” Zachary pinched that pretty face of his as his own lips curled into a smile.

“Here I come, Uncle Zack.”

Ellie covered her eyes as she leaped off with a shout.

The man stretched out and caught the girl in his off-hand.

“Ah——”

She almost burst his eardrums as she continued to scream into his ear when she landed.

“I’m sure you’ve a great singing voice,” Zachary said with a frown.

“Stop it, Ellie. You’re safe now,” Robbie said as he patted on her arm.

She uncovered her eyes and surveyed her surroundings. “Wow, you did it. That was kind of fun!”

“Here goes nothing, Uncle Zack.”

Jamie’s voice rang out from the side.

Zachary turned to see that Jamie had successfully clambered to the highest point. With arms extended, he yelled the whole way down the slide.

“Well done, Jamie!”

The nurses cheered and clapped for him.

They were elated to see him back in action, as he had been positively bored out of his mind after sitting out for almost two months since sustaining that fracture.

It was with Zachary’s encouragement that he took the first step towards returning to normalcy.

To prevent that injured foot from making contact with the ground, the man rushed forward to slow the boy’s descent with his foot while he still had Robbie and Ellie in either arm.

Jamie took care to lift his own foot high to protect it as well, and came away unscathed.

“You alright?” Zachary hooked his foot under the boy and flicked him into the air.

Jamie yelped as he landed upon Zachary’s shoulders. He hurriedly clung onto the man’s head for dear life.

“Oh wow. You’re so awesome, Uncle Zack,” Ellie enthused as she clapped in delight. “You caught all three of us at one go.”

“You’re my hero, Uncle Zack!” Robbie appeared quite in awe.

“No more Uncle Zack from now on.” Zachary corrected them. “You’ve to call me Dad!”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 535

“Dad…” Jamie uttered.

Robbie and Ellie’s eyes widened as if to question how quickly their brother had been co-opted.

I just did it,” Jamie replied sheepishly. “It’s not like Mommy disapproves or anything like that.”

The three children then turned in concert to regard Charlotte.

Their mother appeared quite abashed and did not know how to respond.

Jamie asked softly, “You wouldn’t be against us treating Uncle Zack like our Dad, would you, Mommy?”

“Whatever do you mean by treating me like your Dad?” Zachary frowned. “I am your Dad, to begin with.”

“Huh?” The children were dumbfounded as they glanced at Zachary and Charlotte.

“Let’s go inside. I’ll explain this to y’all.”

Charlotte concurred. A matter of such importance should be discussed when everyone had settled in.

“Okay!” The children nodded obediently. However, their mood was somber, as they sensed their mother had something important to announce.

The entire family bundled into the study when they came back in.

Mrs. Berry and the three kids were seated side by side, while Zachary and Charlotte occupied the couch across from them.

The housekeeper was a little uptight. “Perhaps I should step outside while your family talked, Miss.”

“You are family too, Mrs. Berry.”

Charlotte then gestured for her to sit.

Mrs. Berry could only stay put on the one side with the half-asleep Fifi nodding off in her lap.

“What do you want to tell us, Mommy?”

Robbie was as self-assured and collected as the eldest amongst the children ought to be. He mustered the courage to speak up even though he was quite the nervous wreck himself.

“Mommy had never broached this subject with you before…” Charlotte stuttered as she had no clue as to how to even begin. “The truth of the matter is…”

“Allow me,” Zachary interjected. “I’m actually your father. Your real father.”

“Huh?” The children’s eyes were forced wide as they glared at him, dumbstruck and in absolute disbelief.

“I met your Mommy four years ago and left a seed in her body, which grew to become the three of you…”

Zachary appropriated the descriptions used in some illustrated books which he had consulted previously on the subject.

“We didn’t know each other that time, and I wasn’t aware that she was pregnant until we met again four years later under a different identity. We didn’t get along at first because we had a number of misunderstandings between us, but that’s out of the way now. Since then, I’ve also learned that you’re my children, so…”

“Hold on a second,” Robbie interrupted, as there was much he did not understand. “Why did you leave a seed inside Mommy when you didn’t even know each other? That doesn’t seem very logical.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Jamie and Ellie quickly concurred as the trio shared the same stance.

“That…”

Zachary’s brows furrowed as he considered how to best explain in a comprehensible way for children the stimulating yet bizarre manner in which they were conceived that fateful night.

“It’s because it was dark. We couldn’t see each other.”

Charlotte’s attempt was brusque and tactless.

Zachary rolled his eye at it. The children were bound to end up learning the wrong things with that approach.

“How did you know that we’re your children then?” Robbie’s rational mind continued to whirl.

“Yeah, yeah. How did you find out?”

Jamie and Ellie merely echoed what was said. They did not know as much, but they knew Robbie was bright. It was safe for them to assume, therefore, that Robbie’s questions had to be on point.

“It’s because you and I both share the same allergy towards the kiwi fruit. That was what prompted me to do a DNA test for both of us. The result established that you’re my son. As Jamie, Ellie, and yourself are triplets, it naturally follows that they must also be my children.”

Zachary then passed the DNA test results along to Robbie.

He did not speak to the children like they were three year old, but treated them as though they were his equals.

That made them feel respected and therefore take his words seriously.

 

 

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 536

Robbie received the lab report which he went on to examine carefully.

Jamie and Ellie gathered close and scrutinized it with their big bright eyes.

The younger boy waited for some time before he asked, “Do you know what’s on it, Robbie?”

“I can recognize this,” Ellie said as she placed the tip of her plump index finger against the one-hundred percent figure on the report. “Can’t understand much of anything else though.”

“These two I know.” Jamie pointed to the text that came before that. “Paternity… is!”

Zachary was speechless.

He had been speaking to them so earnestly, but all the rambunctious trio seemed interested in discussing was which words they could read.

“Quit messing around, you two,” Charlotte said. “It’s okay if you can’t understand it, Robbie. Let Mommy…”

Robbie raised his head to regard Zachary. “It states that the probability of paternity is one-hundred percent. I know what that means.”

“That’s good.” Zachary nodded in relief. “So from now on…”

“Can I have a couple more questions answered?” Robbie asked. “Could I?”

“Of course you could. Please ask away.” Zachary was quite impressed with the boy’s assertiveness at his age.

“You didn’t know we’re yours before the discovery of my allergy, did you?” Robbie asked.

“Yes.” Zachary nodded.

“Would you have treated our Mommy and us equally well if you did not have this set of tests done?”

It was a crucial question that the boy had just tabled, and one which elevated the tension in the room in an instant.

The two other tots did not get the underlying implications and knew only to echo his words. “That’s right, would you?”

Mrs. Berry looked at Zachary intently, as she too was interested to know.

Charlotte was surprised at Robbie’s incisiveness. It was a question that she herself had not considered before.

Zachary deliberated before he offered up a response. “I was aware that she had kids right from the beginning, and was quite upset with her because I thought they were conceived with someone else. I must admit that I’ve overreacted and did some things that I’m not proud of. However…”

He raised his head to regard the three children, and continued with sincerity, “I’ve never once had the intention to harm any of you, nor have I hated your existence, and never have I considered giving up on your Mommy because of it. Therefore, my answer would be that I would have loved your mother and accepted all of you just the same, even if you were not of my own.”

His words touched Charlotte profoundly. When she revisited the countless occasions in which she had doubted him previously, he had not tried to harm the children once even while he was under the impression that they were Michael’s.

When she assumed that he was the one who had abducted her children when they went missing, he did not try to defend himself. Instead, he quietly went out to find them and return them to her. Even though he did threaten her then out of spite, he had not brought harm unto them, just like he said.

Out of consideration for the safety of the children when she got into some trouble, he had Spencer fetch the children and put them up with Henry. It may be a credit to his kindheartedness that he incidentally found out about Robbie’s allergy to the kiwi fruit, which in turn led him to the truth about their parentage.

He really was a tough talking softie.

“That’s good to know.” Mrs. Berry was almost tearing up at this point. “It’s beyond question that the children are yours. I know Miss all too well. She had kept herself chaste all these years and had never been with any other.”

“I know.” Zachary curled his lips.

“Thank you!” Robbie took a deep drawl before he continued, “The next question is, does Mr. Henry know that we are your kids? If he doesn’t, would he be able to accept us?”

“He doesn’t know yet.” Zachary thought Robbie was one with a rigorous mind, being able to adopt a multifaceted approach to considering issues. “He has always been fond of all of you, so I expect that he should be very happy when he does.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 537

Robbie’s eyes dipped as he went silent, as though deep in contemplation.

Jamie was conversely anxious. “That’s right. Grandpa really likes us, so I’m sure he would be more than happy to learn that we are his grandson’s children.”

“Does that mean we can’t call him Grandpa anymore? Ellie asked.

“Seems like it,” Jamie said while he tilted his head. “The kindergarten books mentioned that Daddy’s grandpa is called great-grandfather.”

“Ah, are we to address Grandpa as Great-Grandpa then?” Ellie’s eyes widened in curiosity. “That doesn’t have the same ring to it.”

“Yeah, it doesn’t.” Jamie was all business when he expounded upon that, “Grandpa’s Daddy’s Grandpa, not ours…”

“Oh.” Ellie nodded, unsure as to whether she actually understood.

“Is there anything else you would like to know?” Zachary asked Robbie.

“Would you be marrying Mommy?” the boy asked as he raised his head.

“Of course I will,” Zachary replied without hesitancy. “I’ll start preparation as soon as Grandpa comes to.”

“Hooray!” Ellie cheered with her hands raised high. “I want to be the flower girl.”

“Me too, me too.” Jamie chimed in. “I want to invite my friends from kindergarten to attend Daddy and Mommy’s wedding.”

“That’s wonderful. I’d like to extend invitations to some of our old neighbors,” Mrs. Berry spoke excitedly. “And a few of Mr. Windt’s former bodyguards who had taken care of us, as well as Fergie and the others…”

“No problem. We’ll invite all of them.” Jamie thumped upon his own chest. “Let me make the arrangements.”

“Me too. I want to invite a few friends too…” Ellie added as she did not want to be left out. “There’s Ms. Longman and Ms. Cheney…”

“Yes, that’s right. And my Ms. Wiklund too…”

The children went back and forth to no end as they fervently started getting into details about the wedding already.

Mrs. Berry uninhibitedly partook in it. Even the dozing Fifi had been jolted to wakefulness. “Me too. Me too.”

That put a smile on Charlotte’s face. She extended her hands towards Robbie when she saw the boy looking worrisome. “Come here, you!”

Robbie slid off the couch and approached.

Charlotte pulled him into her embrace and kissed his forehead. “Do you have any other concerns, Robbie?”

“Go ahead and speak your mind.” Zachary looked upon him with gentle eyes.

Robbie took a moment to think. “Marriage seems like a complicated affair. Marriage into a wealthy family, even more so. There are some things that I don’t understand and cannot predict, so I keep having this feeling that things won’t go swimmingly… Should you encounter any difficulty, would you give up on Mommy and on us?”

“I won’t.” Zachary ran his fingers through the boy’s slight wavy curls. “There’s no quitting in my books! Come what may, I’ll let nothing stand in my way.”

Robbie’s eyes sparkled. Such awe-inspiring confidence really resonated with him. That had him nodding furiously. “Yes, I believe you!”

“Let’s shake on it.” Zachary had learned how to communicate with children. He heard that to them, a pinky promise held the same validity as a legal agreement.

Robbie immediately linked fingers with him. “Pinky, pinky, a hundred years to test. Whoever turns is a bastard’s ass!”

“I want to do it too.” Ellie ran over to join in when she saw Zachary and Robbie at it. “I want a thumb seal!”

“Me too…” Jamie limped over as well.

“Done!” Zachary did the pinky promise sealed with their thumbs and swore to marry Charlotte against all odds and give them all a blissful and warm place to call home.

The sight of this family of five reduced Mrs. Berry to a sobbing mess. In her heart, she thought: Miss has finally found herself a good man she could lean on, Mr. Windt. You can finally rest easy now.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 538

“Okay, will you call me Dad now?”

Zachary wanted so much to hear the children hail him as their father. Never before in his life had he gone to this length to please anyone.

These days, he had his office lined with books on parenting, and invested time and effort whenever possible to research into how to interact with children.

All that work just to convince these three little imps to willingly acknowledge him.

“I don’t want to…” Ellie pouted.

Robbie and Jamie rescinded their own attempts when they saw their sister expressed her unwillingness.

“Is something wrong?” Zachary asked cautiously.

It could very well be the first time he had tried to be careful about what he said.

“Dad doesn’t sound nice.” Ellie tilted her head innocently. “I prefer Daddy.”

“Yes. Yes…” Jamie went along and said. “If we address our mother as Mommy, we should also call you Daddy.”

“Then Daddy it is,” Robbie declared with finality.

“Uh huh,” Jamie and Ellie concurred with a nod.

The trio exchanged looks between themselves before they looked to Charlotte, and Zachary.

However, none of them opened their mouth.

Zachary had his head in his hands. He yearned for them to hail him, but it seemed that much harder than he could have imagined.

“Well, hurry it up.” Even Mrs. Berry got impatient.

Charlotte merely smiled silently.

“On three.” Ellie waved her hand like an orchestral conductor. “One, two, three!”

“Daddy——”

The endearing qualities of their three voices were amplified loud and clear when they shouted in unison.

Zachary’s heart almost melted. He then drew them into his arms.

He wanted very much to kiss them the way Charlotte did, but he did not know how.

“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy…”

The children crowded around Zachary as they kept calling, and even snuggled close to smother him with kisses.

Fifi was startled from her slumber and beat her wings until she landed on top of the man’s head. “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!”

Overwhelmed by their fiery passion, he was at a righteous loss.

“Ha, this is just beautiful to behold.”

This scene had Mrs. Berry smiling from ear to ear.

Charlotte, however, was in tears.

She felt truly blessed for having something that she could not have imagined before coming to fruition so quickly.

If only she could continue to stay in this perfect moment. This was when a sharp pain shot up her right arm. It crept upwards until it reached her shoulders and then radiated outwards from there.

In an attempt to mask her discomfort, she picked up a cushion and pressed it against her arm.

The pain grew increasingly intense, as though there were tens upon thousands of ants gnawing at her blood vessels until it verged on exploding.

Unable to withstand it no more, Charlotte abruptly stood up and took refuge in the washroom.

“Huh?” The children were astounded when they turned to look in her direction. “What’s up with Mommy?”

“I guess she might be overjoyed.” Jamie clambered onto the couch and threw himself onto Zachary’s broad shoulders. “Carry me, Daddy!”

“Okay.” As his focus was on the kids, he paid little mind to it. However, he was concerned enough to turn to Mrs. Berry. “Could you kindly check on her?”

“Alright.” She nodded and smiled as she got to her feet. “I’m sure all the excitement must have been a little too much. She probably went in to dry her eyes.”

“Mommy’s wept till she got snot on her…” Little Ellie imitated the way Charlotte cried. “Like this, boo hoo!”

“Don’t do that. Bad Ellie,” Robbie chided.

The little girl made a face at him before she ducked into the safety of Zachary’s arms. “Hold me, Daddy!”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 539

“Looks like it’s time. Let’s go for lessons.”

With one clinging on his back, a second nestled in his arm, and a third tugging him along by the hand, Zachary was like a tree overrun by monkeys as he strode forth.

He turned his head toward Mrs. Berry. “Please let Charlotte know that we’ll be in the study.”

“Will do,” Mrs. Berry replied. She watched them leave before she rapped upon the washroom door. “Miss. Are you alright, Miss?”

“I’m fine…” Charlotte was pallid as she hunched over the sink. In spite of being in no small measure of agony, she did her best to compose herself. “I might have the runs, so you should go up first. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“No worries. I’d be right here with you.” Mrs. Berry remained concerned. “Did you have too much to eat at dinner? I’ll go get you a glass of warm water.”

“Okay.”

After she heard the footsteps departed outside, Charlotte slumped down seated on the floor. Beads of sweat ran ceaselessly down her forehead.

She bit down upon her lip until they were close to bleeding.

The excruciating pain continued to permeate. There was nothing visibly wrong with her right shoulder, only the sensation of gnawing upon her blood vessels.

It dawned upon her that the injection that that woman gave her must be more than just a sedative.

The substance inside might had been some form of toxin so subtle that it was undetectable even to Raina.

“How are you doing, Miss?” Mrs. Berry hollered from the outside.

“I’m okay,” Charlotte said with a deep furrow. “It may take a while more, so you should go.”

“Alright. I’ll leave it on the table for you. Do take some medication if you are still not feeling well,” the older woman said.

“Got it.” Charlotte did her best to sound calm.

Mrs. Berry exited.

Charlotte continued to be tormented by pain for another half an hour before it fully subsided.

After she struggled onto her feet, she splashed water on her face. She then downed a few mouthfuls from the glass on the table when she came out.

Jamie’s coat and one of Ellie’s shoes were left on the couch. She felt conflicted as she reminisced about the heartwarming scene from a moment ago.

A few knocks on the door were followed by Raina’s voice. “May I enter, Ms. Windt?”

“Please come in,” came Charlotte’s swift reply.

The doctor pushed through the door with a medical bag in hand. “Mrs. Berry told me that you were experiencing some discomfort in your abdomen. Could you describe it to me? Let’s see if we have any medication here suitable for you.”

“It’s alright.” Charlotte shook her head. “I guess I must have had indigestion from overeating. After visiting the washroom, I’m feeling much better already.”

“That’s good to know.” Raina gave her a pack of medicine anyway. “Have some of these digestive tablets that I’ve formulated myself. I’m sure they’ll be of help.”

“Thank you.” Charlotte took two of that and meaningfully asked, “Mrs. Berry and my friends are your patients, and I’ve also heard from doctors in other hospitals that you have quite the reputation as a medical practitioner.”

“I might be the best there is if that does not come across as being too full of myself. Haha.”

Raina was quite confident of her own competency in her chosen profession.

“Does that mean to say that no one would be able to treat what you can’t?” Charlotte probed.

“That depends.” The doctor adopted a more objective stance. “Some procedures may be better handled by my peers with the relevant expertise, as there are limits to what anyone could be good at. Though I’m able to diagnose most ailments, there will always be doctors from my hospital who I could call on.”

“I see.” Charlotte found it troubling that even someone with Raina’s capability could not figure out what was inside of her.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 540

“Ms. Windt! Ms. Windt!”

Raina’s calls interrupted her train of thoughts.

Charlotte then tried to change the subject. “I’ll be leaving Mrs. Berry and Mrs. Peyton in your able hands.”

“Don’t worry, I will take care of them.” Raina nodded. “How’s your stomach now? Are you feeling better?”

“Very much so,” Charlotte replied with a slight smile. “I think I should be heading up now. Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome. Feel free to approach me anytime.” Raina picked up her bag and left.

Charlotte got her head in order before she returned upstairs.

The door to the study was slightly ajar. She was able to see Zachary instructing Robbie on some technological concepts from her position just outside.

The boy’s brows were knitted in intense focus, much like Zachary’s.

Jamie and Ellie were by their side. They must not have understood what was being shared as the girl wandered off to fiddle with her Barbie doll in a pink tent at the side, while the younger boy, too, started to play with Fifi on the couch.

“You’re an absolute genius!” Zachary was pleasantly surprised to discover Robbie’s talents. “I was six when I started getting involved with technology. You’re already ahead of me at just three years old!”

“Really?”

Robbie was delighted. He used to enjoy chatting to his mother about these while she was still able to engage him adequately then. It, however, did not take long before his knowledge base surpassed hers.

As others in the family were even less informed, Robbie was without tutelage and made little progress researching on his own.

He was in his element and able to advance in leaps and bounds the moment Henry gifted him a computer and enrolled him in online lessons.

However, the efficacy of remote sessions could not compare with that of live instruction. It seemed that Robbie was able to pick things up more easily and quickly, as it showed during Zachary’s first attempt.

Both father and son were tremendously pleased and felt a great sense of accomplishment.

“Uncle Zack…” Robbie blurted.

“What?” Zachary reminded him with an eyebrow raised.

“I mean Daddy.” The boy immediately rectified himself with a blush on his little cheeks. Perhaps consistently hailing the man as such would still take some of getting used to. “With regards to the development of your company’s new product, I have a few suggestions. Could you take me to observe the design process?”

“Of course I could.” Zachary nodded. “I’ll bring you down to the office tomorrow.”

“Ah? To the office?” Robbie felt slightly overwhelmed. “Would that be okay? I was just thinking…”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Zachary patted the boy’s head with pride. “You’re my son. One day, you’ll be taking over my place at the helm of the company. The sooner you are able to get up to speed, the sooner you could join me in running things together!”

“Yeah.” Robbie nodded. His beautiful eyes beamed with radiance.

Charlotte’s lips lifted into a smile. She felt that this was the version of Robbie which he really wanted for himself.

Her coming back to the Nachts had proven to be the right decision for the children.

“Beep! Beep!”

Jamie flipped himself up from the couch the second the alarm sounded. “Time’s up for Robbie, Daddy. It’s my turn.”

“Alright.” Zachary closed the laptop before turning to the older boy. “You can go rest up now.”

“I still want to read on.” Robbie took the device and continued what he was going before at the side.

“You’re very diligent.” Zachary curled his lips. “Don’t you want to learn martial arts together with your brother?”

“Nah, I’m not interested in that.” Robbie’s eyes were fixated on the screen. “Man can create invincible weapons with his intelligence. No martial arts would be able to stand against that.”

“I beg to differ, as there are things that machines cannot overcome,” Jamie retorted. “What’s more, the practice of martial arts can strengthen the body. Surely that’s something that machines cannot replicate?”

“A reasonable point.” Zachary thought aloud with interest.

“Which one of us were you referring to, Daddy?” Jamie eagerly wanted to validate himself.