Ch. 601..610

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 601

Charlotte’s face drained of all color upon hearing this. Mrs. Berry had also turned pale with fright. “That can’t be. Doesn’t that mean that Miss would…”

“Don’t fret.” Dr. Felch reassured, “I only said maybe. According to my experience, there should be hope still, but we must be patient.”

“That’s good to know.” Mrs. Berry’s voice sounded choked when she spoke. “Dr. Felch, Mr. Windt is no longer with us and Miss is his only surviving child. You must cure her for his sake.”

“I will do my best.” Dr. Felch nodded. “You need to be in a good frame of mind when you receive treatment. Relax and don’t think too much.”

“You’re right, Dr. Felch.” Charlotte was unusually calm. “Mrs. Berry, let’s go outside. We shouldn’t disturb Dr. Felch.”

Mrs. Berry nodded.

“Wait.” Dr. Felch handed Mrs. Berry a few pouches of herbal medicine. “Her poison can’t be neutralized yet, but your illness can be treated. Drink one of these every day for ten to fourteen days. It will greatly improve your health.”

“Sure, sure. Thank you so much, Dr. Felch.”

Mrs. Berry took the medicine from him, pleasantly surprised that she herself had benefited from this trip.

“I’ll take you to brew the medicine.”

Hayley led Mrs. Berry and Charlotte to the kitchen.

A great sense of relief flooded Charlotte. If her poison couldn’t be neutralized, at least Mrs. Berry should receive treatment for her illness, so that this trip wouldn’t be in vain.

While brewing the medicine for Mrs. Berry, Hayley cooked dinner at the same time.

Dr. Felch brought Sam out and they sat around the stone table for dinner.

The food Hayley cooked was delicious. Charlotte ate quite a lot, but her head started to hurt as blood trickled out of her nostrils.

Knowing that it was the poison at work, she covered her nose and ran toward the bathroom.

“Miss…” Mrs. Berry hurried after her.

A frown appeared on Dr. Felch’s face as he watched her retreating figure. He took a bottle of medicinal concoction and passed it to Hayley, telling her to bring it to Charlotte.

In the bathroom, Charlotte was still struggling through the agonizing pain. After drinking the medicine, she passed out immediately.

Mrs. Berry panicked and quickly called Dr. Felch.

Dr. Felch simply said, “Let her sleep for now. Letting her continue enduring the pain won’t help in finding the cure.”

Only then did Mrs. Berry understand. This medicine wasn’t to alleviate the pain, but to render her unconscious so that she wouldn’t feel any pain.

Mrs. Berry and Hayley helped Charlotte wash up and change her clothes, then supported her to lie down on the bed.

Then, Mrs. Berry stayed to guard her. Seeing how weak Charlotte looked made her heart break.

Hayley brought some dessert to her, but she had lost her appetite.

That night, Dr. Felch neither conducted additional examinations on Charlotte, nor prescribed her any medicine.

Mrs. Berry, on the other hand, received acupuncture on top of drinking some herbal concoction.

…

Meanwhile, Bruce and his men had lost Charlotte because of the brawl at the train station. After dealing with the attackers, they began inquiring about Charlotte’s whereabouts in Phoenix City.

Bruce called Zachary to report, “Someone was following Ms. Windt and tried to attack her, but our men intercepted in time. From what I could see, they were probably Ms. Blackwood’s men.”

“Sharon?” Zachary’s frowned deeply. “That woman really never learns.”

“Ms. Blackwood was so close to marrying you, but then you kicked her to the curb, so she can’t accept it. Knowing her temperament, she wouldn’t take it lying down.” Bruce was never one to mince his words. “Luckily, we were following Ms. Windt, or something would’ve happened to her at the train station.”

“We can’t let our guard down just yet. Find her as soon as possible,” Zachary instructed.

“Yes, sir,” Bruce replied. “We’ve found some clues. If we’re not mistaken, Ms. Windt came here to look for a traditional medicine practitioner.”

“A traditional medicine practitioner?” Zachary’s frown deepened. Could Charlotte have some kind of hidden illness?

“The doctor seems to be an old friend of Mr. Windt’s. Maybe Ms. Windt brought Mrs. Berry to get treated here?” Bruce didn’t mull over it for too long. “Anyway, I’ll continue searching. We’ll keep them safe.”

“Good.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 602

For the three days following, Charlotte had busied herself with gardening chores. Other times, she would help Hayley prepare meals in the kitchen.

Her days were leisurely, albeit her treatment was behind schedule.

Dr. Felch would extract some daily blood samples from Charlotte for testing. However, to everyone’s dismay, there was no breakthrough yet.

In contrast to Mrs. Berry’s anxiousness, Charlotte was unusually laid back.

After all, there was nothing she could do.

Hayley was a cheerful girl. She loved to hum a tune or two when doing her house chores. As such, it brought joy to the room whenever she was around.

The scenic and secluded place that Charlotte was in helped her feel more relaxed during her treatment too.

Mrs. Berry was rather impressed by Dr. Felch’s acupuncture treatment on her chronic health issues. She urged the doctor to expedite the antidote research for Charlotte.

However, Dr. Felch would repeat the same answer each time he was asked, “We can’t rush it. These things take time.”

Mrs. Berry would then sigh and leave Dr. Felch in peace.

Charlotte would talk to Zachary and the kids over the phone every night. The kids would share with her all the interesting things that happened at their kindergarten.

Zachary chose to keep quiet about what Charlotte was up to. The latter, too, had not mentioned the incident that she was stalked and ambushed. There wasn’t any mention of the bodyguards as well.

The couple did a good job at keeping a tight lid on each other’s secrets.

The toxins in Charlotte’s body would act up once every other day. When that happened, Dr. Felch would let her take the herbal medication. Charlotte would fall asleep after that and wake up feeling completely fine.

They repeated the drill for another five days.

On the ninth day, Sam came back with a bag full of herbal ingredients and put them inside Charlotte’s room before he hurried out to make preparations.

While Charlotte tried to kill some time by tending to Hayley’s vegetable garden, the latter was bustling about in the kitchen, boiling pots after pots of hot water.

Mrs. Berry, on the other hand, was preparing some herbal soup in the kitchen while stealing glances at Dr. Felch’s laboratory every so often in anticipation of good news.

Charlotte’s symptoms acted up again during dinner. Instead of giving her the usual herbal medicine, Dr. Felch asked Mrs. Berry to take Charlotte back to her room.

When they returned to their bedroom, they found that Dr. Felch had prepared a herbal bath for her.

Hayley started undressing Charlotte while she explained, “I have prepared this on Dr. Felch’s order. Help me get her into the tub.”

“Is this part of the treatment?” Mrs. Berry asked.

Hayley nodded. “Quick, we need to immerse her body in it.”

“Alright, alright.”

After the two of them gently stripped Charlotte down, they settled her into the bathtub. After which, Hayley extracted her acupuncture needles and began sterilizing them.

Outside the bedroom, Dr. Felch started giving verbal instructions to Hayley about which acupoints for the needles.

Following Dr. Felch’s instructions, Hayley inserted a dozen of needles into Charlotte’s body.

Soon after, purplish-black toxic blood started flowing out slowly from the pressure point.

“It’s out! The poisonous blood is flowing out!” Mrs. Berry happily declared.

In her stupor state, Charlotte could vaguely hear Mrs. Berry’s remark. She managed to curl her lips into a weak smile before falling unconscious.

“Miss! Miss!” Mrs. Berry cried out anxiously.

“It’s normal for her to pass out in the beginning. She’ll get better in the next few days,” Dr. Felch reassured Mrs. Berry outside the bedroom. “Is the blood purplish-black in color?”

“Yes, Dr. Felch. The blood is flowing out from all the acupoints,” Hayley answered.

“That’s a good sign. It means the medicine is taking effect. Let’s boil some chicken soup for her tomorrow to speed up the healing process.”

“Alright.”

At last, Charlotte’s treatment had taken a positive turn. They repeated the procedure for the next couple of days. Charlotte would fall asleep after the bath and wake up the next morning feeling refreshed with increased appetite.

Mrs. Berry was thrilled to see the positive effects of the treatment on Charlotte.

They now renewed their hopes that they could head back to the city soon after the treatment.

However, Dr. Felch’s updated assessment had shattered their dreams when he said that they needed at least a month to clear Charlotte of all the poison in her body.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 603

We’ve been out here for ten days now. There’s no way I can keep up with the lie for that long before Zachary starts asking questions. I should probably come clean with him and don’t have to worry about staying here to complete the treatment.

One evening, Hayley was getting ready the herbal bath and sterilized acupuncture needles for Charlotte. Dr. Felch was having a conversation with Sam outside the house before the latter headed out in a backpack.

“Where’s Sam going?” Charlotte asked.

“My herbal stock is almost out, so I’m getting Sam to replenish the supply from a nearby village.” Dr. Felch looked up at the sky and muttered, “Looks like it’s going to rain soon. Ah! Sam forgot to bring an umbrella with him,” the man said while hurrying after Sam with an umbrella.

Charlotte went to help Mrs. Berry with the herbs organization when they heard a loud bang coming from outside.

Before they could respond to it, a terrible wail could be heard coming from the same direction.

When Charlotte rushed to the front, she saw both Dr. Felch and Sam knocked down by a jeep. Sam managed to escape unscathed, but Dr. Felch was lying unconscious in a pool of blood.

Hayley’s leg turned wobbly and fell to the ground, clearly shaken up by the event she just witnessed.

“Dr. Felch—” Charlotte was about to dash over to Dr. Felch when she was stopped by a few men dressed in all black as they attempted to drag her onto the jeep.

“Who are you? Let go of me!” Charlotte cried while struggling to break free.

“Keep your hands off her!” Mrs. Berry barked as she charged toward them with a broomstick in her hand. However, the elder woman had only taken a few steps before she was knocked down by one of the men.

“Mrs. Berry!” Charlotte was terrified.

One of the men raised his hand to strike Charlotte when a dagger flew out from nowhere and landed right on his wrist.

The man let out a loud growl before he dropped to the ground.

The rest of the men from the jeep drew their weapons. But before they had a chance to fight, all of them were taken down by the Nacht family’s bodyguards.

“Ms. Windt, are you alright?” Bruce asked anxiously.

“I’m fine. Call an ambulance. Quick!” Charlotte’s heart was pounding.

“Of course!”

Unfortunately, Dr. Felch was the only doctor in the proximity. Although Sam and Hayley had some basic medical knowledge, they were not well versed enough to treat someone in a serious condition. Hence, all they could do before the arrival of the ambulance was to staunch the bleeding.

Due to their rural location, the ambulance did not arrive until half an hour later.

Charlotte and the rest hurried after the ambulance. Everyone was holding their breaths for the safety of Dr. Felch.

The medical staff barely managed to save Dr. Felch’s life. But due to the inadequate equipment in the town hospital, he had to be transferred to a bigger hospital in the city.

Charlotte had wanted to follow the transfer, but her body once again acted up, causing her to wince in pain as blood started to trickle down her nose. Charlotte covered her nose while walking away from the bodyguards.

Nevertheless, she did not escape Bruce’s notice.

One day later, Charlotte woke up from a well-lit hospital room. A familiar face appeared before her blurry daze—it was Raina.

“Dr. Langhan?” Charlotte gaped at her, doubting her own vision. “Why are you here?”

Instead of a verbal reply, Raina shifted her body to the side.

As she did that, Zachary came into focus. He seemed to be engaging in a discussion with a few specialists a few steps away. Upon hearing Charlotte’s voice, the man tilted his head in her direction before asking the rest of them to leave the room.

“Zachary?” Charlotte panicked. “What are you doing here?”

“I didn’t go anywhere. It’s you who have come back,” Zachary replied and sat down on the side of her bed. Cupping her face in his hands, the man continued to explain, “The medical equipment in Phoenix City is far too outdated. I’ve also transferred Dr. Felch here.”

“Oh…” Charlotte’s heart fluttered, her mind raced. How much does he know? Am I still able to keep him in the dark about the fact that I was poisoned?

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 604

“I know what happened.” Zachary saved Charlotte from wondering. His brows furrowed in a knit as he questioned, “Are you out of your mind? What makes you think that it’s okay to not only hide such a serious problem from me but also seek treatment by yourself?”

Charlotte was momentarily disconcerted by the man’s fury.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Still cupping her face, Zachary grunted the words through his gritted teeth, “Did you think I can’t be of any help?”

“No—” Charlotte shook her head fervently.

“Then tell me why?” The man was seething with frustration. “Were you worried you’ll be a burden to me?”

Still not saying a word, Charlotte continued to keep her head down.

“You’re a silly woman!” Zachary held her in his arms tightly and bit into Charlotte’s shoulder while doing so.

“It hurts!” Charlotte cried in pain.

“I meant it to! That’s how you’ll learn your lesson!”

Zachary was feeling a mix of emotions—he was feeling angry, worried, and guilty all at the same time.

“There I was, thinking your nosebleed was due to libido indulgence. And every time you woke up in the middle of the night, it was because of the pain, not nightmares. Each time you had to suffer in silence in the washroom all by yourself…” With each word he uttered, it was as though a dagger had pierced through his heart.

How could I not see that she was in so much pain? I’ll not forgive myself if anything happens to her!

“But I’m better now. You see, Dr. Felch has found an effective treatment for me.” It pained Charlotte to see Zachary blaming himself for the condition she was in. “I’ve felt a lot better after only a few days of treatment. I’m sure I’ll recover in no time if we continue the routine—”

“Dr. Felch is still in critical condition right now.” Zachary cut her off mid-sentence. His voice turned solemn. “He is badly injured. No one can guarantee when he will come to.”

“Huh?” Charlotte’s eyes widened in astonishment.

We’ve finally made some progress, and now this happened. Worst of all, Dr. Felch was dragged into this mess because of me!

“Why didn’t you let me know sooner?” Zachary’s voice was full of self-reproach. “If I’d known earlier, I wouldn’t have let things like this happen to any of you.”

“I’m so sorry…” Charlotte, too, was guilt-ridden. “Will Dr. Felch be okay? This is all my fault. And Sam… Is he—”

“Sam is alright, apart from some minor scratches,” Raina explained carefully. “Mrs. Berry and Hayley are doing fine also. Dr. Felch, on the other hand, is still being monitored in the ICU.

Charlotte lowered her head like a deflated balloon, feeling disheartened by the news.

Dr. Felch is my last hope. Now that he’s lying unconscious in ICU, will I ever be cured?

“Don’t you worry,” Zachary reassured her in a comforting voice. “Regarding the poison in your body, Hayley says she is familiar with the acupoints and can continue her treatment for you. As for the herbs, Sam is also well aware of the combination. Together with Raina’s assistance, we’ll be able to resume the regimen soon.”

“Is that true?” Charlotte turned to Raina.

“That’s right.” Raina nodded. “I’ve asked someone to source all the necessary herbs. We’re well within schedule to start the procedures tomorrow.”

“Thank you…” Charlotte finally heaved a short sigh of relief before she pleaded with Raina, “Please, make sure you save Dr. Felch. I feel bad enough as it is.”

“That’s for sure. We have employed the best surgeons to look after him.” Raina’s expression was remorseful. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Windt. When I did a full body check-up for you earlier, it didn’t cross my mind to do a blood test for you. It’s my carelessness that landed you in this situation…”

“Damn right it’s your fault!” Zachary retorted.

“I’m really sorry. I’m willing to accept any punishment.” Raina lowered her head.

“It’s not her fault, Zachary. No one would have thought to check my blood for toxins at that time.” Charlotte tried to calm the man down. “We have more urgent issues to settle right now.”

Zachary’s expression softened as he stroked her face gently. “Alright. Rest up now. We’ll start tending to your illness tomorrow. You’ll be better soon.”

“Hmm.” The woman nodded dutifully.

“Go to sleep.” Zachary put Charlotte to bed before leaving her room in quick steps.

Once he stepped outside the ward, Zachary’s expression turned frosty as he ordered in a lowered voice, “Gather the people. I have some scores to settle with the madwoman right now!”

“Mr. Nacht…”

“I said, now!”

“Yes, Mr. Nacht!”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 605

Zachary arrived at Zara’s residence with a few dozen subordinates, only to find an empty building.

Zara had already anticipated that her nephew would soon learn of what she did to Charlotte and come after her to seek revenge.

She had already moved to a safe place as soon as she caught wind that her plan was exposed.

Zachary was left fuming. The fact that one of his family members managed to anticipate his move made him grit his teeth in intense rage.

You’re lucky you got away this time. But you can’t stay hidden for the rest of your life!

As per schedule, Charlotte started receiving therapies the next day.

Hayley executed Dr. Felch’s instructions to a tee in her acupuncture, but a smaller amount of toxic blood was discharged this time.

Nonetheless, everyone agreed that as long as there was still poisonous blood in Charlotte’s body, they should soldier on.

The lesser amount of blood might have been due to the large volume of it being let out before.

Charlotte kept her chin up, feeling positive that she was on the right track to full recovery.

After a full month of treatment, there was hardly any tinted blood from the acupoints, and Charlotte had stopped experiencing painful fits altogether.

Zachary was thrilled and convinced that Charlotte had fully rid herself of the poison in her body.

This morning, Zachary helped Charlotte check out from the hospital while informing her of another news, “Guess what, Grandpa is also being discharged today.”

“Mr. Nacht is fine now? That’s great!” Charlotte was overjoyed.

“His legs are not as flexible and agile as before, but his overall health has improved considerably. We just need to take better care of his diet.” Cupping her face in his hands, the man said softly, “The kids have missed you.”

“I’ve missed them too.”

Charlotte felt an instant pang of guilt in her chest. She had avoided her children during her stay in the hospital so they would not see the frail and haggard state she was in.

But all is well now. I can finally see the kids tonight.

“Let’s go.” Zachary took her hand in his and was about to head out the door when Charlotte stopped him.

“Can I please visit Dr. Felch before we go?”

Charlotte still felt apologetic for having involved Dr. Felch in this mess.

“Okay. I’ll go with you.” Zachary wrapped his hand around her shoulder and walked to Dr. Felch’s ward.

Hayley, Sam, and Mrs. Berry were also by Dr. Felch’s bedside.

The mere presence of Zachary was enough to instill nervousness in Hayley and Sam. Hence Charlotte had him waiting outside the ward while she entered the ward.

“Miss.” Mrs. Berry walked up to Charlotte. “I’ve finished packing. We can check out together.”

“Mrs. Berry, is your back okay?”

Mrs. Berry had sustained a back injury when she attempted to free Charlotte from the kidnap. While Charlotte was receiving treatment in the hospital, so was Mrs. Berry.

“I’m alright. My back is fully recovered now,” Mrs. Berry said while stretching her back. “I’m still taking the herbal medicine. It’s been really helpful.”

“That’s good to hear.” Charlotte nodded in relief and then turned to Hayley and Sam. “Why don’t both of you come to stay with me? You can still visit Dr. Felch every day—”

“I’m fine, Charlotte. I’ll stay here to watch over Dr. Felch,” Sam replied resolutely.

“Me too. I want to stay here to look after Dr. Felch.” Hayley, on the other hand, was still her cheerful self. “Please go ahead without us, Charlotte. When Dr. Felch is well again, we will go visit you.”

“Okay.” Knowing their close relationships with Dr. Felch, Charlotte did not push. “I’ll come to visit Dr. Felch whenever I can. You can call me up anytime anything comes up, okay?”

“Hmm, we will.” Both of them nodded.

“Alright, I’ll get going.” Charlotte gave Hayley a hug and was about to leave with Mrs. Berry when Sam called out to her, “Charlotte…”

“Yes?” Charlotte turned to Sam.

“Take good care of yourself. And please come back to us if you feel any discomfort,” Sam reminded.

After a moment’s hesitation, Charlotte replied to him with a smile, “I will.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 606

Charlotte still felt slightly unsettled after leaving the hospital. For some reason, her mind kept flashing back Sam’s final reminder, causing her to think that there was still toxic residual in her blood.

Even so, there was not much else she could do about it, considering Dr. Felch was still unconscious, and Hayley and Sam only knew so much about her condition.

Dr. Felch did say it takes time to clear all the toxins from my body in stages. It could well be that the herbal bath and acupuncture were only the first two stages out of many. And he was attacked before he had a chance to implement them. I can only pray for myself and hope that Dr. Felch will come around soon so we can pick up where he left off.

“What’s wrong?” Sensing something was bothering her, Zachary held her in his arms. “Are you still worried about Dr. Felch? I’ve arranged for the best surgeons to take care of him. Raina also reassured that he will slowly come around. He is, after all, no longer a young person, so his recovery is bound to take more time.”

“Hmm.” Charlotte nodded absent-mindedly.

“Stop worrying,” Zachary said while rubbing her face playfully. “You’re gonna have to gather yourself and want to look your best in the bridal dress. There are only seven days left for you to get ready. You surely don’t want to look like this in your bridal pictures.”

“What?” Charlotte was stunned. “What seven days?”

“Our wedding,” the man replied matter-of-factly. “I’ve already announced publicly that we’ll get married on the ninth this month!”

“What? When? And why didn’t I know anything about it?” There were too many questions in Charlotte’s head. She was at a loss which one to ask first.

“I’ve made the announcement three days ago,” Zachary said while flashing a gold-colored invitation card in front of her. “I’ve also sent out all the invitation cards.”

The woman was speechless for a moment as she tried to digest the information. “Oh my gosh, we haven’t even had pre-wedding bridal photos taken, and you have already sent out all the invitations?”

Charlotte frantically opened the invitation card, only to see a few simple lines of invitation without the usual bridal photo.

“Well, my initial plan was to have a world-class wedding ceremony with you. But on second thought, since you don’t like being high-profile, I’ve opted for a smaller celebration with a few close families, friends, and business partners. They all know me to be a low-key person, so I’m sure they won’t mind the missing bridal photo in the invitation cards.”

Zachary continued to share his plan for the wedding with Charlotte.

“However, we’re still going to take pre-wedding bridal shots. So, I’ve asked someone to prepare a yacht for our family of six to take some photos tomorrow.”

“You’ve even made arrangements for that? But tomorrow is Wednesday. Don’t the kids have school?” Charlotte flipped out a little.

“It’s kindergarten, honey. I’m sure it’ll be okay for them to skip one day.” The corner of Zachary’s mouth curled up a little. “They’ve already sent the invitation cards to their teachers and little friends while waiting for your return.”

Oh dear God.

Charlotte was experiencing the strange feeling of having to play the main character without knowing anything about her. “What about your grandfather? Has he given us his blessing?”

“Well, the reason he rushed into discharging himself today was that he saw the invitation card.” The man pursed his lips. “And he’ll be visiting us tonight to talking about the wedding.”

Zachary had once again rendered Charlotte speechless by putting her on the spot. “Oh my goodness, you’ve gone behind his back on this! What if he says no?”

“No one is going to change my mind about this.” Zachary’s voice took on a solemn tone. “Not even him.”

“But…”

“Alright, now.” The man interrupted her speech and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Let me worry about it. Right now, I want you to just focus on being the most beautiful bride in the world!”

Charlotte was deeply moved by the man’s unwavering profession of love for her and decided to leave the matters in his hands. She stopped protesting and wrapped her hands tightly around his waist before burying her head in his chest, listening to the strong beats of his heart. “Thank you.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 607

Despite Zachary’s reassurance, Charlotte still could not help but feel anxious about meeting Henry.

Charlotte recalled her first encounter with Henry. She was full of confidence and arrogance, absolutely sure of her resolve to not have anything to do with Zachary.

But now, the tables had turned and she wanted to marry Zachary. Her love for Zachary had turned out to be her soft spot and Henry’s approval of her became a priority.

“Let’s get some rest.” Zachary was about to head upstairs with Charlotte when they heard a car pulling up just outside.

One of the bodyguards dashed to Zachary and reported, “Mr. Nacht, Mr. Henry is here.”

Instead of his own residence, Henry made his way here straight from the hospital. The fact that he had chosen a time before the children came home from kindergarten was a clear indication that he wanted to have a private conversation with both Zachary and Charlotte.

Charlotte instantly grew nervous and at a loss of what to do next.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be by your side,” Zachary said while holding her hand and started walking toward the door.

As though it was well-rehearsed many times before, all the bodyguards and maids swiftly formed two straight lines in front of the car. Mrs. Berry, who was unpacking in the room, also rushed out with the rest of them. Her expression grew grim the moment she was informed that the patriarch of the family had just arrived.

So, this is the person whose blessing Miss will need to get for her to marry into the Nacht family.

Zachary opened the passenger door and helped his grandfather step off the car while the bodyguards pushed a wheelchair over.

Whilst helping Henry get into his wheelchair, Zachary noticed the elder man’s stiff legs and frowned. “Your legs are still not fully recovered. They’ll need more time to heal properly.”

“I’ll heal better if you stop acting like a spoiled rascal!” Henry snapped.

Zachary shrugged and started pushing Henry forward in silence.

The patriarch lifted his piercing cold gaze at Charlotte who stood waiting at the door.

“Hi, Grandpa,” she greeted softly.

“It’s Mr. Henry!” Henry corrected Charlotte sternly while turning his face away. “I have not accepted you into my family.”

Charlotte lowered her head, saying no more.

Mrs. Berry, on the other hand, was about to reason with the elder man but was stopped by Charlotte.

Zachary took one look at Charlotte and continued pushing Henry inside the house.

“When are the kids coming home?” Henry asked while checking his watch.

“Five o’clock.” Zachary understood his grandfather’s cue. “Shall we proceed to the study room?”

“Hmm,” Henry replied in a dominant voice. “Get her to come long.”

“Alright,” Zachary said while shooting Charlotte a quick glance.

Oh dear, here it comes. As Charlotte marched behind Zachary, a protective Mrs. Berry wanted to follow suit but was once again stopped by Charlotte. “Mrs. Berry, you must be tuckered out. Why don’t you go get some rest?”

“But Miss, the old man looks like he’s about to eat you up! I can’t let him do that to you.” The loyal housekeeper was concerned.

“Don’t you worry. Zachary has my back on this.” Charlotte let out a chuckle. “Besides, Mr. Nacht loves the kids. I’m sure he won’t mistreat their mother.”

“That’s true.” Mrs. Berry nodded.

“Also, you haven’t seen the kids in a long while. When they’re back later, they’ll surely be roughhousing around. You’ll need to have enough energy to handle them,” Charlotte continued to persuade her.

Mrs. Berry finally conceded. “Okay then. I’ll go unpack now and take a nap. But you have to have some confidence in yourself. After all, you did give them three wonderful grandkids.”

“I will.” After seeing Mrs. Berry to her room, Charlotte arrived at the study room on the second floor.

Zachary helped Henry get comfortable on the sofa while Mrs. Rawlston set some tea and desserts on the coffee table before retreating from the room.

Ben and Bruce guarded dutifully outside the room.

Spencer stood quietly behind Henry, ready to cater to his boss’ commands.

Zachary had his hand wrapped around Charlotte’s shoulder while they were seated across from Henry.

While Zachary sat casually with his legs crossed, Charlotte sat up straight, akin to a student sitting in the principal office.

Henry took a few sips of the tea before he finally spoke, “Am I dead to you now? Some nerves you have for sending out all the wedding invitations without first going through me!”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 608

“I’m the one getting married, not you,” blurted Zachary.

He noticed Henry’s gloomy expression and immediately switched over to a wry grin instead. “That being said, we already have children. What else is there for you to disagree with?”

Zachary knew that Henry’s weakness was the children.

“Don’t you dare use the children as a shield! I’m not buying into that argument!” shouted Henry in anger.

Zachary curled his lip, unmoved. He busied himself with the freshly brewed tea and poured Charlotte a cup too.

Charlotte took it but did not dare drink it. She only used the teacup to warm her clammy hands.

“If I don’t consent to this union, you can forget about getting married,” said Henry in a warning tone. “Don’t think you can go around spreading your wings and behaving as if you can do as you please.”

“I still hold a majority of the Nacht Groups’ equity. If you disobey me, I’ll pull out of the group—unless you’re fine with doing things alone.”

“You did build the Divine Corporation, but it comprises only a small part of the Nacht Group’s assets.”

“Based on the assets of that company, the best you can do is to compete on equal standing with the Blackwoods. You’re nothing compared to your aunt, and the Lindbergs will be able to wipe you out in minutes.”

These remarks that seemed to be directed at Zachary were actually meant for Charlotte.

How could Zachary not realize something so obvious?

He was fearless—confident in his own capabilities. He refused to believe that his grandfather would just cut off ties with him over something like this.

Charlotte, on the other hand, did not want to risk it.

Zachary was not the type to share his burdens with her, but she was not completely unaware of his struggles.

He was orphaned at an early age and was thrust into a devilish training regime at the age of six. Zachary was denied a childhood and grew up devoid of any entertainment or happiness.

He was a genius, and a fountain of knowledge.

The only thing that he knew was the pursuit of knowledge. Even when he grew into his teens and a man, Henry had tight control over his friendships or pursuits of romance. He only lived for one thing—success.

Twenty-eight years of hard work had brought him to where he was. It should not be put on the line for Charlotte’s sake.

“Grandpa, don’t be angry…” came Charlotte’s hurried interjection. “If you don’t agree, we’ll just drop it.

“Quiet.” Zachary glared at her accusingly. How could she so willingly discard everything he was going to put on the line for her?

“A wise man submits to circumstances,” said Henry coldly. “You’re only interested in Zachary because he is the worldly, well-off man that he is today.” ”However, if he disobeys my will, he will lose everything. You will be left with nothing after that.”

“If you leave quietly, I’ll pay you handsomely for it. You’ll never need to worry about finances for the rest of your life. I think you know what’s best for you.”

“I think you’ve misunderstood, Grandpa.” Charlotte smiled bitterly at him. “When I was with Zachary four years ago, I had no idea who he was. Call it dumb luck or serendipity, if you will.”

“Ah, you mean to say that you’re not with him for his wealth?” sneered Henry mockingly. “Even if it was sheer dumb luck, it’s been four years since you’ve met again. You’re still insisting that you have no ulterior motives?”

“No,” said Charlotte matter-of-factly. “We met under a different identity, four years later. I didn’t know the man from four years back was Zachary as well. It might sound absurd, but it was not planned.”

“Isn’t that adorable.” Henry looked at her with scorn and disdain. “Anyway, I refuse to agree to this marriage. Even if you’ve sent out invitations, it’ll be pointless. I only need to make one phone call, and your wedding will be called off.”

“Grandpa, I—”

“If you still acknowledge me as your grandpa then do as I say.” The old man did not give Zachary a chance to refute. “I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. I refuse to accept this woman into our family!”

“And what about the children?” asked Zachary pointedly. “Don’t you think they should be recognized as members of the family? Shouldn’t they carry the Nacht surname?”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 609

“Of course, that’s a given.” Henry then turned to look at Charlotte. “Name your price. In return for you letting the children be recognized by the Nachts, I will pay you any amount.”

“Grandpa, why do you have to insult me with your wealth?” Charlotte frowned and rubbed her sore temples. “Zachary is their father anyway. I have no objection to them bearing his surname!”

“Good to know!” Henry smirked and looked at Zachary smugly. “Did you hear that?”

Zachary was speechless. This stupid woman is making things difficult. Is she only capable of sidelining me? It’s obvious that she sucks at negotiating.

“Well, stop bullying her just because she is agreeable!” Zachary sighed inwardly. He had no choice. This negotiation was between him and Henry since Charlotte was of no help at all. “The census registration cannot be without Charlotte! The children need a mother!”

“The name of the mother matters very little. The father’s name is what bears the most weight.” Henry looked at Charlotte coldly. “It would be beneficial to have the children raised among the Nacht family. Think about their future! If they stayed with you, there is no guarantee that they will have food on the table. They will be scorned for being raised by a single mother. If you really love them, you should consider this.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Charlotte was already being pushed to the brink. “You want my children, but you don’t want their mother. Are you expecting me to just sign them away to you?”

“Exactly.” Henry nodded sagely at Charlotte. “Leave, and the children will stay. That’s precisely what I meant. You’ve given us three heirs, so the Nachts will not ill-treat you. I will fulfill any conditions you have.”

“You’re going too far!” roared Zachary, clearly enraged.

“Be quiet.” Henry glared at him and addressed Charlotte again. “Even if I were to ignore your background, do you think you’re a woman worthy of Zachary?”

“Zachary was a genius in STEM fields during his teens. By then, he’d already created his own tech group, built Divine Corporation’s commercial branding from the ground up, and already managed more than thirty companies under the Nacht Group.”

“On top of that, he’s fluent in eight languages, has technical knowledge in various fields, and has doctorate degrees in three different subjects. In the future, he will inherit a fortune worth trillions.”

“Now, let’s talk about you.” ”You barely managed in a regular university. You don’t have outstanding talent, work capacity, nor are you good at entrepreneurship.”

“How are you going to marry into the family when you’re barely even touching mediocrity?”

“Zachary’s mother is a high-achiever with a doctorate from a prominent university. Her father is an Ustranian Duke, making him noble-born and of good character. Her marriage was optimal because both families would benefit from this union. Can you even begin to compare yourself to her?”

“Let’s go back even further. Zachary’s grandmother was the only daughter of a shipping magnate, and she was a skilled entrepreneur herself. She helped me manage the businesses after we got married, and we owe our successes to her efforts.” ”And you, what are you capable of?”

“You can tickle a few keys on the piano, raise the kids… All of which are things that can be done by hiring a nanny. Why do we need you in the family at all?”

Charlotte was rendered speechless by the man’s tirade.

She was nurtured by her father’s loving care as a child and had learned quite a bit. While it was definitely not bad by ordinary standards, it was a far cry from the upbringing of the women who married into the Nacht family.

All in all, she had never considered what it would take for her to marry into a prestigious family, but she finally understood.

Given her current state, she was only fit enough to be one of the staff.

“That’s enough!” said Zachary, seething.

“Let me finish.”

Again, Zachary was interrupted by Henry. He was not about to let him intervene.

“You are the mother of my great-grandchildren. Although I can’t let you marry into the family, I have no desire to hurt you. In fact, I am grateful that you have raised the children so well.”

“However, I think that it’s not unreasonable to think that marrying into considerable wealth and power is no easy feat. Large and wealthy families tend to be complicated.”

“As the heir to the Nacht family empire, Zachary will be the head of the family. This places heavy burdens on his shoulders. If he has nobody capable to share those burdens with, it will not be an easy path to take in the future.”

“I won’t live for much longer. I can’t be watching over him all the time. I need to find someone who can do what needs to be done and help him, instead of hiding behind him all the time.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 610

His words were domineering and aggressive in the beginning, but Henry finally let out the truth. It was emotional and within reason.

Charlotte stood there in silence and began to reflect.

Yes, this marriage would not be easy. Not only would I need to help Zachary, but I also need to consider whether or not I can adapt to such a large family and their ways.

I think I can’t exactly offer him the assistance he needs. On the contrary, I’ll be both a hindrance and a burden.

“Think about it. Aren’t you only a stumbling block?” asked Henry again.

Having noticed that Charlotte seemed to be weighing in on his words, he decided to continue.

“Because of you, Zachary has fallen out with the Sterlings, the Browns, as well as the Blackwoods. He’s even at loggerheads with his aunt. You’re not even his spouse, and you’ve already caused so much trouble. What is going to happen in the future?”

Charlotte could only lower her head in shame. She had caused a lot of trouble, and there was no denying that.

“I’m still alive. I can hold things back for the time being by using my influence to keep things calm. But who is going to help him after I’m gone? And what if the same thing happens again?”

“Alright, I’ve had enough!” Seeing Charlotte reduced to this, Zachary hurriedly stepped in to defend her. “You’re one of the best psychological warfare experts the world has seen. If you’re going to be using such tactics, how is anyone even going to defend themselves?”

“Am I wrong though?” Henry shot back and looked at Zachary. “Did I fabricate anything? Or did I exaggerate things?”

“That’s irrelevant. I’m going to marry her anyway.”

Zachary knew the old man too well. When he was younger, he was an expert negotiator who persuaded prisoners of war to surrender. He could even use psychological tactics to edge criminals to suicide. To Henry, Charlotte was scum. She had no room to fight back.

“Well, aren’t you just easy to deal with today!” Henry was already very annoyed. “Do you think you’re still a child? You’re already a father! You have responsibilities! Why are you being so difficult?”

“You want to talk about reasoning with me?” retorted Zachary. “Well, let me ask you then. If grandma was so good and so perfect, why did you end up marrying your mistress?”

The old man was stunned, and the expression on his face was a mixture of indignance and rage. “You little sht! What bullsht are you on about now?”

“Am I wrong?” asked Zachary. “Based on what you just said, we need to have our qualifications sky high to be worthy of the Nacht family. So what was it about grandma that you didn’t like? You still ended up having an affair. You got yourself a mistress!”

“I told you to shut it!”

At the age of ninety-six, all of his dirty laundries were being exposed by his grandson and to outsiders at that.

Henry’s face turned purple with rage. If not for his bad feet, he would have already lunged at Zachary ages ago.

“So that proves that you need to marry the woman you love!” retorted Zachary again. “A loveless marriage, regardless of how perfect she is, is counter-productive. If you don’t love her, it’ll only cause problems that will leave a lasting impact on the family as well as the business.”

“Y-You brat…”

The old man was so angry that he hit Zachary on the shin with his crutches.

Zachary didn’t bother dodging the blow. “After that, Grandma divorced you and nearly made you split up the family property. Did you forget how the whole incident made global headlines?”

“I told you to shut up!”

Henry was near-delirious with anger. Shakily, he got up and rushed towards Zachary.

Charlotte immediately snapped out of her daze. She had been stunned into silence by Henry, but Zachary had stepped in to defend her.

However, both men made salient points.