Ch. 691..700

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 691

On the public highway, two Rolls-Royces sped along the road, one black and one silver in color. They resembled two storm clouds that were racing each other down.

In fact, this seemed to have turned into some sort of competition. Both cars seemed to be competing to see who could reach the destination first.

“How fascinating!”

Inside the car, Zachary gave a small chuckle, his eyes filled with anticipation…

This woman had a habit of showing up in front of him in the most curious of ways. Every time she appeared, she managed to turn his entire life upside down.

The last time at Sultry Night, she had mistaken him for a gigolo and demanded that he compensated her.

This time, she had appeared as his business rival who was attempting to one-up him in everything.

Zachary wanted to know what sort of tricks she had up her sleeve this time.

Here, he mused that the games between them were becoming more and more intriguing.

Charlotte could toy with him as much as she pleased. However, she would never be able to escape from his grasp.

Both cars arrived at Ashenville Garden at the exact same time, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

The parking lot was full of luxury cars. All the businessmen had already arrived with their bodyguards and were canvassing the field for other people to network with. It was very busy indeed.

However, when the two Rolls-Royce screeched to a deafening halt at the entrance, sending a strong gust of wind blowing into the carpark, they attracted everyone’s attention immediately.

Everyone stopped talking and turned to look at the Rolls-Royce, aghast.

One of the cars had a license plate that was embossed with a golden ‘N’, while the other one had a golden ‘L’ on it. Everyone knew who had arrived immediately.

The people from the powerful Nacht Group and Lindberg Corporation had arrived!

An excited murmur ran through the crowd. Everyone was full of anticipation. The arrival of the Nacht Group and Lindberg Corporation representatives had taken the conference up a notch.

The doors of the two cars swung open at the same time. The bodyguards in the passenger’s seat got out immediately and opened the door for the people in the backseat.

Zachary stepped out from the car, his jet-black suit shining like a diamond under the sun. He carried himself with the inherent aloofness of an important man, which drew everyone’s eyes towards him at once. His eyes were deep-set and narrowed, which gave him a rather severe look.

Meanwhile, a long pair of legs stepped out of the other car. A beautiful woman appeared, attired in a pair of black pants and a simple white blouse. However, because of the chic style of her clothes, she looked more stylish than businesslike.

Her face had a light dab of powder, and she wore a pair of pearl earrings on her ears. She had put her hair up in a knot, which accentuated the sharp look on her face. With her beautiful face that looked as though it had been crafted by the gods themselves, she became the belle of the ball immediately.

Everyone turned to gaze at her.

They looked rather shocked. Who was this beautiful, smart-looking girl that had appeared out of nowhere at all?

Meanwhile, Zachary was still reveling in the fact that he could finally see her up-close at last…

His heart was beating faster than ever as he tried to swallow the taste of bitterness in his mouth…

His suspicions were confirmed at last. This woman was Charlotte, and there was no doubt about it.

Mr. Potter, the person in charge of the conference, came hurrying up to them with his bodyguards in tow. “Welcome, Mr. Nacht and Ms. Lindberg!”

He shook hands with Zachary enthusiastically, before turning to Charlotte and saying, “Ms. Lindberg, your reputation precedes you. You’ve just entered the business world, but you have already had so many accomplishments under your belt. What a young talent!”

“Mr. Potter, you mustn’t say that!” Charlotte said, laughing mockingly. “What if Mr. Nacht gets angry? After all, all my achievements were built on the failures of the Nacht Group!”

Hearing this, the crowd fell silent immediately.

Color drained from the businessmen’s faces. They shot hasty looks at Zachary, silently castigating Charlotte for being so arrogant. How could she dare to challenge him like this in public?

Another murmur ran through the chagrined crowd.

Mr. Potter had achieved his position due to his great ability to converse with all sorts of people and make them feel at home. He was well-known for being able to talk his way out of anything, but even Charlotte’s words rendered him completely speechless.

Looking rather awkward, he forced a smile onto his face and wiped the sweat from his brows with a shaky hand.

“The floor might be beneath our feet, but it fears us not, because we rely on it to stand firm on our feet.” Zachary smiled as he gazed straight at Charlotte. “Ms. Lindberg, you are young, and still have much to learn.”

This time, it was Charlotte who was left speechless. Evidently, Zachary was no amateur when it came to dissing people himself.

His words had a deeper meaning to them. He wanted to let everyone know that the Lindberg Corporation had beaten the Nacht Group this time only because the Nacht Group had let them. There was nothing jaw-dropping about Charlotte’s achievements at all.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 692

“You’re right, Mr. Nacht. I’ll make sure to learn as much as I can from you.”

Charlotte didn’t seem affected by his words at all. Smiling long and meaningfully, she turned and left with her bodyguards in tow.

“Oh, move out of the way!” Lupine made sure to give Ben a hard shove as she pushed past him.

“You…” Ben gnashed his teeth, furious.

Seeing that Charlotte had left, everyone else dispersed quickly, knowing that the show had ended as quickly as it had begun.

However, it had been an exciting show-down while it lasted. As everyone walked away, they started discussing the matter amongst themselves.

“Gosh, did you see how haughty Ms. Lindberg was? She kept on mocking Mr. Nacht, but he remained gentlemanly and refused to lose his temper. If it was somebody else, however, he would’ve exploded at them immediately.”

“Doesn’t he hate being mocked by people the most? What happened just now? Why did he let her off so easily?”

“In my opinion, Mr. Nacht knew the value of retreating in order to advance.”

“Yeah, right! I think he was just trying to get that beautiful girl out of her bind.”

“Haha!”

Hearing this, Ben’s face turned steely with rage. However, Zachary seemed rather nonplussed. His eyes continued to follow Charlotte as she walked further and further away…

A few businessmen wanted to network with him, but their friends held them back. “Mr. Nacht is probably stewing right now. If you go up to him now, nothing good will come of it!”

The businessmen felt that their friends were right. Timidly, they went up to Zachary and said hello to him before darting away quickly again.

As he gazed at Charlotte, Zachary’s heart swelled with emotion. He tried to keep them under wraps…

He had thought of her day and night for two years, tormented by the guilt in his heart. He finally had a chance to set those feelings free today…

She had returned at last!

She had really appeared in front of him in flesh. This time, she wasn’t a mirage or a dream he had conjured up in the middle of the night— she was actually here.

He had stood close by her just now. Their short conversation stirred up some of Zachary’s memories from the past…

Back then, she had enjoyed bickering with him thoroughly. Although she never managed to beat him in a battle of wits, she liked issuing a challenge to him anyway.

As he thought about this, his lips curved into a smile. The expression in his eyes became much gentler than before.

Had she pretended not to recognize him because she was still mad at him about what had happened all those years ago?

No matter. He would take it one step at a time.

Slowly but surely, he would erase whatever negative feelings she had towards him, and make her return to his side.

“Mr. Nacht, Ms. Lindberg is young and reckless. Please don’t take her words to heart,” Mr. Potter said, trying cautiously to calm Zachary down. “When I find the chance, I’ll make sure to give her a good talking-to.”

If another person had mocked Zachary like that, the fight would’ve ended horribly for them. Even the event organizers would’ve been implicated in the matter. Hence, Mr. Potter felt obliged to apologize for the earlier altercation.

“What a woman! She has some character.”

Zachary smiled brightly and walked away.

Ben and the bodyguards hurried after him.

“Um…” Mr. Potter stood rooted to his spot, feeling a little lost for words. “W-what just happened?”

“Couldn’t you tell what happened, Mr. Potter?” his assistant asked with a smile. “Mr. Nacht has developed feelings for Ms. Lindberg.”

“That can’t be true!” Mr. Potter exclaimed in horror. “The Nachts and the Lindbergs are arch-enemies!”

“All’s fair in love and war.”

Mr. Potter was speechless.

He thought the entire situation was unlikely, but since Zachary had decided to let the matter slide, Mr. Potter decided not to cause more trouble for himself.

Seeing that Zachary was about to leave, he snapped out of his daze and chased after him. “Mr. Nacht, wait for me! I’ll lead the way for you.”

…

Ashenville Garden had very nice scenery. It was located on sprawling grounds and complete with a golf course, a hot spring resort, a racing ground, and a luxurious banquet hall.

It was already late in the evening. The businessmen had returned to their hotel rooms to get ready for the banquet that night.

The Aploth Chamber of Commerce had reserved the entirety of Ashenville Garden for that night. Because there were a limited number of rooms, each participant could only bring two of their aides with them. The others would have to stay in the hotel over at the golf course.

As two of the most prominent families, representatives of the Nacht Group and Lindberg Corporation found themselves staying at the best villas Ashenville Garden had to offer.

However, the villas at Ashenville Garden were all duplex houses. Since both families had similar statuses, members of the Nacht family and the Lindberg family had been assigned to adjoining houses.

Remembering the fiasco from before, Mr. Potter asked if Zachary wanted to switch to a different house. However, Zachary replied cheerfully, “No need to change! I like this place.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 693

Of course he didn’t want to switch houses. He wanted to be as close to Charlotte as possible.

Here, an even more alluring smile appeared on Zachary’s lips. He turned around and walked straight into the villa.

Mr. Potter didn’t dare to question his decision or ask even more questions. He had no choice but to keep his mouth shut and continue making arrangements for Zachary.

The master bedroom of the villa was huge. The last rays of the evening streamed through the floor-length windows and pooled into a golden spot on the ground.

Zachary took off his suit jacket and unbuttoned his stifling shirt. Carrying a wine glass, he made his way to the balcony and sat down on the marble-white recliner. Squinting in the sunlight, he turned to look at the balcony of the adjoining house.

Almost immediately, the balcony door slid opened and out stepped a familiar-looking person. The woman was barefoot and wore her hair down around her shoulders. In a long, flowing silk dress, she looked both relaxed and careless.

Without her aloof, arrogant façade, she appeared more like the innocent, simple Charlotte from the past.

“Well, I didn’t expect to see you here, Mr. Nacht.”

Charlotte sat down on the same marble-white recliner. She stretched out her hand towards Morgan, who promptly passed her a glass of ready-made cocktail.

“I like admiring the beautiful scenery and beautiful women alike,” Zachary remarked.

He smiled at her and raised his eyebrows with an ambiguous look on his face.

“You’re quite the playboy, Mr. Nacht,” Charlotte commented with a taunting laugh. “What happened to the frigid, ice-cold man that everyone knows?”

“I only show this side of me to certain people.”

Zachary shot her a look. It had been two years, but she hadn’t changed a bit. After taking off her makeup and letting her hair down, she looked quite the same as before. However, her eyes had taken on a rather arrogant quality, and for some reason, she looked sharper and more intelligent than she once had.

With status came great power!

“Are you making fun of me, Mr. Nacht?” Charlotte asked, laughing coldly. “I heard that you’re a married man.”

“Yes. In fact, you look a lot like my wife…” Zachary tried to provoke a reaction from her. “She has been missing for two years now. Could you possibly be her?”

“Hahaha…” Charlotte burst into mocking laughter immediately. “Mr. Nacht, your method of getting girls is quite pathetic, don’t you think?”

“Do you really not recognize me?”

Zachary looked rather confused. Charlotte’s response didn’t seem fake— if it was fake, however, she had to be an exceptionally talented actress to pull it off.

She seemed neither flustered nor panicked. In fact, she seemed to have no recollection of the past, and neither was she displaying any sort of yearning towards it.

It was as if Zachary was a complete stranger to her. To Charlotte, he was nothing more than her business rival.

“Why would I know you?”

Charlotte raised her eyebrows provokingly, laughing frostily as she gazed at him.

Although she seemed to be full of mockery towards him, her heart was actually full of complicated emotions.

When he told her that she looked a lot like his wife, the needle in her heart had wedged itself a little deeper. The jolt of pain in her heart had been the most tormenting yet…

It was as though his words had truly cut her somehow…

She couldn’t help but wonder if they had met each other before.

“Charlotte…” Just as Zachary was about to continue, there was a loud commotion downstairs. “You foolish people, don’t you have eyes? Don’t you know who I am? Let me in right now—I’m here to look for Zachary.”

This voice sounded rather familiar.

Zachary turned around and spotted Sharon immediately.

They hadn’t had a single interaction in the past two years. Why had she chosen to show up in front of him again today?

Ben hurried over and whispered in Zachary’s ear. “She’s probably here as one of Synder Group’s representatives. She was informed that you were attending this conference and decided to pay you a visit.”

Zachary waved his hands idly, signaling that Ben should go settle the matter for him.

Charlotte had seen everything. She snorted loudly and said, “What a way to play with a girl’s feelings, Mr. Nacht. I wonder if this woman looks like your wife, too!”

“Ms. Lindberg…”

Just as Zachary was going to explain himself, Charlotte turned and returned to her room.

Her female bodyguards slid the balcony door shut and tugged the curtains close. Zachary couldn’t peek into the room at all.

He couldn’t help but frown in disappointment. What a ruined opportunity!

However, Sharon’s arrival gave him another idea. Seeing an old enemy of hers might make Charlotte give up this act of hers.

“Mr. Nacht, I’ve settled the matter,” Ben said, returning to Zachary’s side. “She has returned to her room, but I wager that she’ll come and harass you again tonight. Do you want me to put a stop to it first?”

“There will be no need for that.” Zachary wanted to see how Charlotte would react when she finally laid eyes on Sharon again…

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 694

As Zachary was changing his clothes, his phone buzzed with a text notification. Thinking that it was some sort of spam, he ignored it completely.

Ben hurried into the room and exclaimed, “Mr. Nacht, they’re coming out of the house now!”

“So fast?” Zachary frowned and put on his shoes quickly. “Hand me my watch, quickly!”

“Oh.” Ben passed him his watch immediately.

Zachary put on his shoes and flew down the stairs while putting on his watch, his feet moving at an alarming pace.

Ben followed behind him hastily.

The moment he stepped out of the door, Zachary slowed down immediately. Putting on an act of extreme serenity, he walked out onto the lawn at a perfectly normal pace.

Charlotte was in a white, strapless gown. With her hair down around her shoulders and a diamond-encrusted necklace around her neck, she shone as brightly as an angel. Everyone gaped openly at her, mesmerized by her beauty.

Two of her bodyguards opened the car door for her. Charlotte stepped into the car…

“What a coincidence!” Zachary greeted Charlotte coolly.

Charlotte turned to look at him and smiled a little. Without another word, she got into the car immediately.

“Mr. Nacht!” Ben held the car door open for him.

Zachary got into the car, frowning. An unhappy expression was written all over his face.

“You have to take it slow. Wooing a girl takes lots of patience, you know.”

Ben thought Zachary was upset because of Charlotte’s cold reaction towards him.

“What’s with that awful dress…”

Zachary trailed off in the middle of his sentence, but his face had clouded over completely.

In the past, he had demanded to see every single one of Charlotte’s outfits. Strapless gowns were a no-no—he ordered her stylist to sew on some lace to cover her exposed chest. He disapproved of every gown that showed off her shoulders. However, that gown she had been wearing just now broke all of his rules…

It was way too sexy for his liking!

Ben felt a little speechless. He finally understood the reason behind Zachary’s unhappiness.

He was annoyed that his wife was wearing such a revealing gown!

Ben thought darkly, it remains to be seen whether she’ll even consider herself your wife or not…

Things were heating up in the banquet hall. A luxurious crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow down on the occupants of the banquet hall.

Calm, lulling music flowed into every corner of the banquet hall. Businessmen walked in and out of the room, sipping from glasses of red wine or champagne as they discussed business matters in hushed voices.

Charlotte’s arrival drew the attention of a large crowd of people. As everyone’s gazes fell on her, some people ventured daringly to greet her. “Good evening, Ms. Lindberg!”

Charlotte smiled and nodded at them in acknowledgment.

The banquet echoed with the sound of greetings as everyone greeted her warmly.

Someone walked up to her and tried to shake her hand. “Ms. Lindberg, it’s great to see you here!”

Charlotte smiled and returned his greeting politely. She was kind and generous and courteous to a fault.

This was the first time she was attending a business event. Everyone had seen how arrogant and callous she could be that afternoon, and had tried their best to steer clear of her. However, stunned by her elegance and propriety now, they hurried forward to introduce themselves to her.

Charlotte became the center of attention immediately. Everyone was looking at her— including Sharon!

When she spotted Charlotte, Sharon’s face had turned white as a sheet.

W-Wasn’t this Charlotte?

Hadn’t she died a few years back?

What was she doing here again?

Sharon was so frightened that the color had completely drained from her face. Grabbing a glass of wine from a passing waiter, she gulped down its contents in one go, trying to calm her nerves.

Don’t panic, don’t panic…she might just resemble Charlotte, that’s all…

She overheard two people chatting about Charlotte next to her. “What’s this woman’s family background?”

“I heard she’s Mr. Lindberg’s younger sister. She’s the second-largest shareholder in Lindberg Corporation.”

“She’s so accomplished for her young age!”

“I know, right? I heard she managed to turn the tables on the Nacht Group yesterday and sealed a deal with regards to the South Sea territorial waters for thirty billion yesterday! She’s so young and talented!”

“Yes! Besides, look how beautiful she is!”

“Be careful of what you say. Ms. Lindberg has a horrible temper. She tried to provoke Mr. Nacht in the carpark this afternoon.”

“What? She dared to provoke Mr. Nacht? Is this true?”

“Of course it is. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“Then I must make sure to steer clear of her…”

Hearing this, Sharon became even more confused? When did Charlotte become a member of the Lindberg family? And when had she become the second-largest shareholder in Lindberg Corporation? Was she really so powerful?

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 695

Sharon turned her head towards the person standing in front of her. Charlotte Lindberg stood proudly in the room, surrounded by a powerful and intimidating aura, composed and elegant. Every inch of her screamed wealthy.

She was obviously a world of difference when compared to the timid, ignorant Charlotte Windt from the past.

Perhaps it’s just a resemblance…

Moreover, so what if she really is Charlotte Windt?

If that’s the case, she’s the same person that I humiliated and plotted against. The same person grovel at my feet back then!

What’s there to be afraid of?

At that thought, Sharon straightened her posture and lifted her chin. The fear pounding in her heart slowly dissipated.

“Mr. Nacht is here!” All of a sudden, someone from the crowd cried out, turning everyone’s attention to the entrance.

Even the merchants fawning at Charlotte Lindberg a second ago hurriedly rushed forward to welcome and greeted Zachary Nacht.

Although it’s true that Charlotte had an outstanding demeanor, Zachary had an irreplaceable status in the corporate world, and the rest of the merchants present were smart enough to offend neither party.

Normally, Zachary despised socializing and dealing with pesky businessmen and businesswomen, but he was surprisingly out of character that day. Not only was he pleasantly easy-going, all smiles and courtesy, he even asked Lucy to jot down the names of all those who approached him that night in hopes of an appointment.

In just a short span of a few minutes, Zachary had stolen the spotlight from Charlotte, becoming the center of attention.

Taking in the scene, Sharon’s eyes shone, feeling immense pride for Zachary.

As the crowd surrounding him finally dispersed, Sharon quickly went up to greet him. “Zachary!” she called out, waving.

Zachary instinctively frowned at the sight of her, hatred showing in his eyes. However, he swallowed the initial disgust and forced out a smile at Sharon. “Long time no see, Sharon,” he greeted, in hopes to gauge Charlotte’s reaction.

“Yeah, it has been a while!”

Sharon looked at him affectionately. All that had happened in the past didn’t matter to her, not even the fact that he had so cruelly abandoned her. To Sharon, Zachary would always be the most flawless man, and she would always have a soft spot for him.

Zachary sneaked a glance at Charlotte. The latter was surrounded by many young men, chatting with those around her and oblivious to Zachary’s attention.

Zachary took a glass of champagne from a waiter and casually walked in Charlotte’s direction.

“Have you heard? I’ve managed to get my hands on the piece of land in Summerbank…” Sharon followed him closely, attempted to curry favor with Zachary by discussing topics he’d like. “There’s also an underground casino in Lightspring that recently contacted us, hoping for partnership…”

“Casinos in Lightspring are all legally operated, you could consider the offer,” Zachary replied Sharon absent-mindedly, his gaze never once leaving Charlotte.

“The business in M Nation is also now under my supervision since Daddy has too much on his plate. Good thing too, since Daddy is way too soft with the staff and so indecisive. There have been multiple headaches ever since he’s in charge of the family business two years ago.” Sharon pursed her lips before continuing, “We used to be one of the top thirty companies in Aploth. Now we’ve been ranked down to top eighty…” Relentless, Sharon still tried to get Zachary’s attention. “But the Nacht family will always be the best and that’s the biggest difference-”

“Says who?” a voice responded icily, sending a chill down Sharon’s spine.

Finally turning her gaze away from Zachary, Sharon found herself face to face with none other than Charlotte Lindberg. The latter’s cold eyes bore into Sharon’s soul.

“The latest data has yet to be revealed. I wouldn’t be so confident,” Charlotte stated with an eyebrow raised. A hint of arrogance laced her voice.

That’s odd. Why does this lady look so familiar? Charlotte frowned slightly, staring at the woman in front of her.

Not only so, why am feel so irritated by her presence? Charlotte felt a wave of unexplained fury and loathe surging through her at the mere sight of Sharon Blackwood, as if they were born to be nemesis.

Flustered, Sharon looked away, breaking eye contact with Charlotte. The glare Charlotte gave her made her skin crawl.

Nevertheless, with all eyes on her, Sharon refused to back down. As reluctant as she was, Sharon bit the bullet and retorted, “Even if the data is revealed, the Natch family is still going to come first. No one can snatch that status from them!”

“Snatch?” Charlotte narrowed her eyes into a dangerous glint. “It’s all fair play in the corporate world. Everything is determined by data and numbers. Why would I need to snatch the first place from them?” The clicking sounds of her high heels rang clear in the room as she elegantly strode towards Sharon as she talked, like a predator who had cornered its prey.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 696

“I…”

“What’s your name? Which corporation do you represent?”

Without waiting for a response, Charlotte continued to interrogate Sharon rather aggressively. “How can someone with such awful character be allowed to participate in the Aploth Chamber of Commerce?”

Charlotte turned her head towards Mr. Potter and mocked, “Looks like you can do better at your job, Mr. Potter.”

Poor Mr. Potter was at the receiving end of Charlotte’s anger again for no rhyme and reason.

Mr. Potter groaned inwardly. Despite the exasperation he felt, Mr. Potter still kept a polite smile on his face as he rushed towards them to lighten the mood. “Ms. Lindberg, this is Ms. Blackwood of Synder Group. For your information, Synder Group is one of the leading companies in M Nation…”

“Leading? What was it that I heard her say just a second ago… ah, right. ‘We’ve been ranked down to top eighty’. Come now, Mr. Potter, quit pulling my leg, Ms. Blackwood herself said so,” interrupted Charlotte with a smirk. “Though I know that the top one hundred and one companies can participate in the Aploth Chamber of Commerce, shouldn’t there at least be a character test?”

“Um…” Mr. Potter was rendered speechless. He glanced sheepishly at Sharon, then at Zachary standing nearby, begging the latter for help.

Aware that this fiasco was caused by the mention of the Nacht Group, Zachary was ready to step in and intervene. Before he could, however, Sharon had had enough and blurted out in a fit of anger, “Charlotte Windt! Can you stop causing problems on purpose?”

Charlotte narrowed her eyes and stared at Sharon with cold, piercing eyes. “What did you say?”

“Don’t think for a second that I’ll be afraid of you just because you’ve changed your surname to become part of the Lindberg family, you btch!” Blinded by her fury, Sharon bellowed arrogantly. “Charlotte Windt was so submissive that she would have willingly licked my shoe if I asked her to! She’s nothing but a piece of sht in front of me! So who do you think you are to act so high and mighty-”

Slap! Sharon was silenced by a slap across her face, the sound reverberated clearly throughout the room.

Sharon clutched her cheek, now burning red and swollen while gaping at Charlotte, dumbfounded. “You… you b*tch! How dare you hit me?” she hollered.

Slap! Without hesitation, Charlotte gave another slap across Sharon’s face with a heavy hand.

The blow almost made Sharon lost her balance.

Everyone gasped, taken aback by Charlotte’s actions, including Zachary.

He had never seen this side of Charlotte before. The Charlotte he knew would never lay her hands on anyone.

Staring at the stranger in front of him, doubts crept into Zachary’s mind. Is this really the Charlotte I know?

“Ms. Lindberg, what… what are you doing? H-how could you hit a person…” Mr. Potter tried to intervene but clammed up instantaneously by a sharp gaze from Charlotte.

“A light punishment for insulting and humiliating me,” replied Charlotte with a murderous glare.

Mr. Potter paled, lost for words.

“I’m going to kill you!”

Sharon lunged herself at Charlotte with raised fists, going mad from anger.

Swift as a flash of lightning, Charlotte grabbed Sharon by her wrists and twisted her arms with tremendous strength. An ear-splitting crack echoed throughout the room, followed by a terrible scream.

A commotion broke out in the room. Panic filled everyone in the room as they instinctively stumbled backward from Charlotte, trembling in fear.

Unaffected by the uproar, Charlotte shoved Sharon lightly. The latter sprawled onto the floor, pathetic and disheveled. Sharon’s gaze fixated on both her broken arms, shivering in pain as she forgot how to scream.

“Quick!” Mr. Potter gestured to someone in the room.

Two men hurriedly rushed forward and carried Sharon away.

“You better watch your back, Charlotte Windt! I will not let you get away with this!” Sharon thundered, regaining her senses as resentment overpowered the sting on her arms.

“Next time, Mr. Potter, you’d do better than letting rabid dogs indoors!” Charlotte sent a chilling glare towards Mr. Potter’s direction before turning around with an elegant smile. Gone was the furious woman from a second ago. “Apologies, everyone. Did I scare you?” Charlotte asked tenderly.

The fear of the crowd quickly dissolved to bewilderment at her sudden change in demeanor. After a minute of stunned silence, someone from the crowd quickly shook their head and quipped, “Oh, no, no, no. Not at all!”

“Ms. Lindberg you sure are… something else!”

“You’ve always looked as gentle and as graceful as flowing water. Who would have thought Ms. Lindberg would have such good martial arts skills!”

A few merchants smiled timidly in response, no longer daring to inch any closer.

“Don’t mess with me and I won’t mess with you,” stated Charlotte casually with a smirk. “But if someone messes with me… I shall deal with them.”

Though she said so in a light and composed manner, her piercing gaze still made everyone’s hair stood on end.

“Yes… Rightfully so, Ms. Lindberg!” responded the crowd frightfully as they tried to keep their voices steady as to not let their panic show.

“What about you, Mr. Natch? What do you think?” Charlotte raised an eyebrow and turned her gaze to Zachary, everything about her screamed extreme arrogance.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 697

“That’s brilliant!” Zachary curled up his lips into a smile. “But I’d like to correct you on one thing only. Once this year’s data is revealed, Nacht Group will still come first!”

“You seem confident,” Charlotte commented with her eyebrow still raised. “How are you so sure, that Lindberg Corporation wouldn’t overthrow Nacht Group from the first place this year?”

Zachary flashed her a good-mannered grin. “Well Ms. Lindberg, most of the assets of Lindberg Corporation are in Epea and Adrune. In the Aploth Chamber of Commerce, naturally, Nacht Group located here in Aploth has a higher advantage! I believe Danrique Lindberg will think so too!”

Hearing those words, Charlotte had no words to refute the argument. In all reality, she couldn’t care less about the ranks. It was the sight of Sharon that lit the fuse. Charlotte did not know why, but something about Sharon Blackwood just rubbed her the wrong way, irritating her to no end, and all she wanted is to counter everything Sharon said or did.

That was what provoked her to do what she had done earlier.

“Excuse me.” Zachary placed down his champagne flute and left with a polite nod.

Charlotte stared intently at his silhouette, frowning slightly. This man gives the impression of a calm and collected gentleman, yet he can retaliate my words with just a few sentences.

I’ll have to raise my guards around him!

As the scene ended, Mr. Potter quickly lightened the mood. “The Lindbergs and the Nachts have always equally matched, both equally impressive and should be our benchmark,” he announced in a loud voice. “Right, everyone?”

“Right!” the crowd chorused.

“Ms. Lindberg, we have prepared a place for you to rest. Should I escort you to your private lounge?” Mr. Potter approached Charlotte cautiously, in fear that he might accidentally offend and trigger her.

“Please excuse me, everyone.” Charlotte nodded to the people around her with a smile and left the room with Mr. Potter.

Meanwhile, Zachary had excused himself since his phone had not stopped vibrating with calls and notifications. The moment he stepped foot into the hallway, Zachary picked up the call. “Hello?”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Henry hollered on the other side of the phone, causing Zachary to pulled his phone away a few inches from his ear. “First you made plans to go out with Cynthia, then you refused to text back or answer any calls? Is this nothing but a game to you?”

Zachary froze, speechless. Only then did he recall the dinner reservations he had made with Cynthia.

Zachary pinched the bridge of his nose in realization. He had intended to have a conversation with Cynthia, but the sudden change of plans threw him off track, causing him to push the matter to the back of his mind.

No wonder my phone kept vibrating just now.

“Sorry, there was a change of plans. I forgot to inform her about it,” explained Zachary.

“She waited for you in the restaurant for two hours…”

“How big of a deal is that?” interrupted Zachary. “She could have just gone back on her own, must she run to you and start tattling?”

“She wasn’t tattling. She was just asking me about your whereabouts. She was worried…”

“Worried about what? What could possibly happen to me?” Zachary’s patience was beginning to slip away. “Fine, I’ll head back and explain it to her, alright? Stop fussing over it.”

“She’s in our house,” replied Henry before interrogating further. “When are you coming back?”

Zachary was once again at a loss for words. After a few quiet seconds, he quipped, “Why did you bring her back to our house?”

If the triplets see Cynthia, things will be awkward.

“What about it? Do I not have the authority to do so?” Henry questioned back.

“Of course you do,” replied Zachary, massaging his head, attempting to get rid of the headache that his grandfather just gave him. “I’m attending events organized by the Aploth Chamber of Commerce right now and won’t be going home tonight. Ask someone to send her back to her place, I’ll contact her tomorrow.”

“Why do you always…” retorted Henry.

“I have to go.”

With that, Zachary hung up. Seeing the numerous notifications on his phone, he rolled his eyes, deciding to turn a blind eye to them.

“Excuse me, Mr. Nacht. Sorry to bother you.” A melodious voice rang from behind him.

Zachary turned and came face to face with a beautiful young lady. Her delicate features and hourglass-like figure were enhanced by the exquisite black form-fitting gown. She was holding a glass of wine in her hand, looking at Zachary in admiration from afar.

“I’m sorry, you are…?” Zachary arched his eyebrow at the sight of the stranger approaching him.

“My name’s Nancy Gold, daughter of Jesse Gold from Hawen. Please to meet you!” Nancy spoke in fluent Ustranasion. “May I have the honor to have some words with you, Mr. Nacht?”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 698

Zachary cringed slightly in response. He was about to decline when he saw Charlotte heading their way, causing him to change his mind. With a coy but polite smile, Zachary gestured to the door of his lounge. “Please! Come in!”

“Thank you!” chirped Nancy, ecstatic.

Zachary smile, glancing quickly in Charlotte’s direction before leading Nancy into his private lounge, deliberately slowing down his pace.

As he had intended, Charlotte passed by the pair on her way to her own lounge. However, to his dismay, Charlotte merely gave him a look of contempt and walked right past without further thought.

Zachary’s brows furrowed as he frowned. The interaction between Charlotte and Sharon, the way Charlotte was finding fault in Sharon in everything the latter did, the way Charlotte seemed to be getting revenge crossed his mind. All those seemed to prove she really was Charlotte Windt…

So why, upon seeing myself in close proximity with another woman, did she not even flinch?

“Mr. Nacht, my family’s company is entertainment-based. We have signed contracts with many popular celebrities in Koandria…”

Nancy immediately launched into self-introduction the second she sat down. “Hope you can give us a chance to work together, Mr. Nacht,” she added sweetly.

“Mm…” Zachary nodded half-heartedly. “We shall see, maybe someday.”

As he was talking, he gave a signal.

Ben walked forward and bowed courteously. “This way, Miss Gold,” he said politely, gesturing to the door.

Nancy was dumbfounded. Zachary had just invited her in for a conversation, why is he sending her out already? What’s going on?

Not giving up, Nancy took out her phone and asked cautiously, “Mr. Nacht, can we exchange our numbers, please?”

Zachary peered at her phone with no response.

“This way please, Miss.” Ben urged again.

Not daring to utter another word of protest, Nancy reluctantly got up and leave with a curt and polite nod.

As Ben opened the door of the lounge for Nancy, he caught sight of Charlotte’s ferocious female bodyguard closing the door of the opposite lounge across the hallway. The latter noticed him too. Though stunned at first, her shocked face turned into a glare within a second.

“You…” Ben gnashed his teeth in fury upon seeing her again.

Once Nancy exited the lounge, Ben slammed the door shut in frustration. “That damned woman, I will make her pay one day!” said Ben through his gritted teeth.

“Who?” Zachary asked out of curiosity and lifted his eyes to peer at Ben. He was quietly savoring the wine he had poured for himself when Ben had said those words, no doubt coming off as a surprise.

“That bodyguard of Ms. Lindberg,” huffed Ben. “Yesterday during the car accident, it was her who came out of the car and started hollering at me. She even had the audacity to glare at me just a minute ago!”

“Hmm, she looks like she has great combat skills, you might not be able to beat her if there was a duel,” teased Zachary with a smirk.

“How is that possible?” Ben was starting to get anxious. “Mr. Nacht, I’m one of your men, how could you compliment others while putting your own people down…” he faltered.

“Quit talking and maybe defeat her in combat, then we’ll see.” Zachary rolled his eyes at Ben, annoyed.

“I’m tempted to… but she’s one of Ms. Lindberg’s people, and I dare not cross her…”

Bang! Before Ben could finish his sentence, a loud noise came from outside. “What the f*ck are you doing?” a furious voice followed.

It was Marino!

“Looks like your fighting skills aren’t as good as your racing skills,” an arrogant, feminine voice mocked.

“F*ck you! Let me show you how to really fight!”

Having enough of her arrogance, Marino lunged towards the woman and started a physical fight.

Ben rushed forward to open the door. Upon seeing the scene, he scolded, “Marino, what are you doing?”

“Ben…” In that fraction of a second, Marino was distracted and received a heavy punch to his chest. Marino gritted his teeth and was about to parry the attack when the door across the hallway opened. “Morgan, what are you doing? Are you bullying the weak again?” a voice called out, calm and slow.

“Weak?” Marino retorted as he felt the anger rising to his neck.

“Who are you calling weak?” interrupted Ben, frowning. He shot daggers at Lupine, the woman who had mocked and insulted him multiple times, unable to swallow his pride and stay silent this time.

“I’m calling you weak, what about it?” smirked Morgan with her eyebrows raised.

“You…” Ben balled his hands into fists and charged forward.

“Enough!” A low growl rang out behind him.

Reluctantly, Ben stopped and stepped aside. His fists fell to his side, still clenched.

“Morgan, Lupine.” Another voice scolded sternly from the opposite room. “Stop bullying men again.”

Bullying men?

Marino gawped openly at Charlotte in disbelief and felt his blood pressure shot up upon hearing those words uttered by her.

Ben’s expression darkened. His eyes were beginning to gleam like a predator stuck in a cage, waiting for the opportunity to pounce.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 699

“Ms. Lindberg, your bodyguards sure are an image of yourself,” joked Zachary in a good manner while stepping out of his private room. “All of you are hot-tempered.”

“Sorry ’bout that,” grinned Charlotte humbly. “Us Lindbergs are rather aggressive with quite a unique personality. Please excuse us, Mr. Nacht.”

“That’s quite alright, Ms. Lindberg. A gentleman will not pick fights with women.” A smile made its way to his lips. No matter what, Zachary had to redeem some of Ben’s and Marino’s dignity. “As for us Nachts, we might have superb combat skills, but we will never bully the weak just because we’re strong.”

Well said! Applaud Ben internally as he felt his dignity being restored.

Upon seeing someone finally had their backs, Marino’s gaze soften as well.

“Hah,” sneered Charlotte. “Who’s strong and who’s weak, we don’t even know yet.”

At the side, Lupine and Morgan cracked their knuckles, ever ready for another fight.

Ben and Marino did not back down either. The pair puffed up their chests and raised their fists, getting into a fighting stance.

“Arguing with women is not a gentleman’s character,” smirked Zachary while shrugging his shoulders. “How ’bout we play a game?”

“What game do you have in mind, Mr. Nacht?” Charlotte asked with an arched eyebrow, not backing down from the challenge.

“Shall we go to the basement?” asked Zachary as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, leaning nonchalantly against the door frame of his private lounge. “There are lots of games we can play at the basement… unless of course, you’re afraid and want to call it quits.”

“What’s there to be afraid of?” Charlotte straightened her spine and lifted her chin in pride. “Who’s to say, maybe we might win instead!”

“Shall we?” Zachary gestured in the direction of the elevator.

The pair moved towards the elevator side by side with six of their people trailing behind. Each step they took emitted power and dominance.

Although in the wide hallway, Charlotte and Zachary walked next to each other in close proximity, shortening the gap between them.

Zachary peered at her from the corner of his eyes, taking in her angelic face, raven-black hair, and the same mild perfume she used to wear. Everything about her seemed to be identical to Charlotte Windt back then.

“What are you looking at?” snapped Charlotte, displeased.

“Looking at you, of course!” Zachary answered, grinning good-naturedly.

“You can look, but you will never get to touch,” retorted Charlotte proudly.

“We shall see.” The corners of Zachary’s lips lifted.

As they step foot into the basement, only did Charlotte realized what the games are. However, it was men’s territory. Pole dancers are on the stage, surrounded by cheers and whistles. All around them were games such as darts, shooting, and gambling.

A few merchants had a lady on their laps, playing poker as laughter resonated in the room.

Mr. Potter was betting on a horse race when he got word that Zachary and Charlotte had arrived. He quickly got up to greet the two. The few merchants quickly got up too.

“Mr. Nacht, Ms. Lindberg!”

“Continue.” Zachary waved his hand dismissively, letting the crowd know not to be influenced by their presence.

The merchants sat down again to continue the game. Nevertheless, their eyes kept straying to the duo and the band of people behind them.

“What would you suggest, Ms. Lindberg?” Zachary smiled charmingly.

“All these are men’s idea of entertainment.” Charlotte swept her eyes across the room, finally landing on the dartboard. “A game of darts?”

“Alright.” nodded Zachary. “Not a bad choice, my men are quite talented with darts.”

“Brilliant,” smirked Charlotte. “At least now it’ll be a fair game.”

Zachary remained silent, taking in the woman next to him.

She sure has gotten quite sharp and witty.

They settled in the darts area, taking a seat. Mr. Potter quickly arranged for some of the finest liquor they had in store. “Would you like anything else, Mr. Nacht, Ms. Lindberg? I will get it served in a jiffy.”

“No need to bother. We’ll just be playing.”

At his final word, Zachary gave a signal.

Ben took out a dart and flung it across the room.

Bullseye!

“Not bad!” applauded Charlotte, “But where’s the fun in this?”

“What do you suggest then, Ms. Lindberg?” Zachary crossed his legs and looked calmly at her.

Charlotte made a gesture.

Understanding the order, Morgan took out a champagne-colored rose from a vase and held it in between her teeth before standing in front of the dartboard.

“Whoever hits the stem shall win?” asked Ben.

“No,” said Charlotte coldly with a sneer. “Whoever drops all of the petals on the ground first shall win.”

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 700

“This will be a breeze…” Ben took out another dart in full confidence.

“Without touching the stem!” added Charlotte.

For a split second, Ben was dumbfounded. Looking at Morgan with the rose in her lips with just a little stem poking out, he registered the difficulty in hitting the stem without harming the person.

Now he couldn’t even hit the stem, but had to drop the petals on the ground?

She just had to make things harder. Ben gritted his teeth.

“Why? Not up for the challenge?” Charlotte raised her eyebrow, mocking. “It’s not too late for you to back down.”

Everyone else in the room had stopped whatever they were doing, focusing all their attention on the little competition between the Nachts and the Lindbergs. Some even brought their drinks, hoping for a good show. How could Ben possibly back down now?

“Of course not,” answered Ben instantly. “Challenge accepted.”

“Show them how it’s done, Ben!” cheered Marino.

He had been mocked and humiliated by Morgan, the fire of his rage is still burning hot. Right then and there, Marino hoped that Ben would restore their integrity.

“So childish.” Morgan rolled her eyes at the men, still holding the rose between her teeth.

“Fair warning, Mr. Nacht.” Charlotte raised her glass and gave a stern look towards the men, “If there is even a scratch on Morgan, I shall destroy all of you.”

“Heard that?” Zachary raised an eyebrow at Ben.

“Don’t worry Mr. Nacht.” Ben frowned. Even though he knew it wouldn’t be easy, it’s too late to quit now.

“Let’s begin!” Impatient, Lupine took out a dart. She turned to Ben and raised her eyebrow in a mocking manner. “Go ahead. I’ll give you a head start.”

Feeling his pride and dignity being threatened, Ben declined. “No need for that. Ladies first,” he said, gesturing to Morgan.

“Okay,” Lupine did not hesitate. She held the dart and took a few strides back, allowing the distance between her and Morgan to be a good twenty meters. Narrowing her eyes, she aimed the dart towards the rose in Morgan’s lips…

Whoosh! The dart flew across the distance and right through the center of the rose. The liquid on the flower splashed all over Morgan.

Morgan closed her eyes reflectively. When she reopened them, a few shredded bits of the rose petals hung on her eyelashes.

“Brilliant!” A few merchants applauded in awe.

Lupine’s aim was sharp and precise. The dart only pierced through the petals, and the stem did not even move. The dart finally landed on the dartboard, shaking slightly at the impact.

“Your turn.” Morgan smiled triumphantly at Ben and walked to the side.

Ben held a dart and headed towards the position where Lupine stood. He aimed his dart and drew his hand back, prepare to shoot. Before he could, however, Charlotte quipped, “Without touching the sepals either.”

Ben widened his eyes, at a loss for words. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Lupine had hit the middle section of the flower, leaving only the messy bottom half held together by the sepals. If they weren’t allowed to even hit the sepals, it would complicate things further.

“I didn’t hit it either just now.” shrugged Lupine with a smirk.

“You…” Ben gnawed his teeth in frustration. But with all eyes on him, he decided to not pick a petty fight with a woman and let it slide.

“Good luck, Ben!” cheered Marino in a cold sweat, feeling anxious for Ben.

Zachary on the other hand sipped his drink elegantly without even lifting his gaze.

“You don’t seem to have any bit of worry, Mr. Nacht,” teased Charlotte. “What if you lose? Wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”

Zachary swirled the glass in his hands before smiling, “The Nachts never lose,” he declared confidently.

At those words, Ben’s dart flew across the room and accurately pierced through the petals, missing the sepals by a few millimeters.

The petals were torn and scattered, landing softly on Morgan, adding hints of color on her black suit.

Yet the scene looked undeniably beautiful…

“Awesome!” The crowd burst into cheers and applause.

Even though Ben did not knock down as many petals as Lupine did, he managed to hit the target precisely without scratching anything else. At that, the crowd was impressed.

“Not bad.” Charlotte curled her lips into a smile. “I’ve underestimated you.”

“Hmpf,” huffed Ben and gestured for Lupine to take her next shot. He was interested to see what Lupine would do next.

The rose was now utterly disheveled, with only tiny bits of petals left. To successfully hit the petals that were left was already a challenge by itself, much less to knock them down.