Ch. 801..810
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 801
More importantly, without Zachary’s approval, she would never be an official partner in the project.
From Charlotte’s perspective, she felt that Zachary was raising such an unreasonable request at this point to make her quit.
“Fine, I accept the condition.” Charlotte glared at him coldly. “I’ll be back in Erihal tomorrow to get it done.”
“Good.” Zachary pursed his lips into a sly smile. “I hope to receive good news from you!”
With that, he got to his feet and began walking off, saying, “We shall sign the papers for our business partnership once you get the authorization documents from the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Erihal.”
As Charlotte watched him leave the place, she could not help but clench her teeth in annoyance. The cunning businessman she had just conversed with was nothing like the gentle, affectionate man from the night before.
He can’t be the same person as Gigolo! That’s simply not possible!
“Charlotte, are you mad?” Louis carefully tried to pacify her. “I prepared a banquet tonight for Mr. Lorenzo and Mr. Morgana. Will you join us?”
“Of course. I won’t get distressed just because of something this small.” Charlotte smirked.
“That’s good to hear. Alright, I’ll be going off to do some horse-riding with them now…” Louis heaved a sigh of relief.
“Okay, I’ll be going to the South Sea. I’ll see you tonight.” Charlotte got up and strode off.
…
Meanwhile, in Zachary’s car, Ben asked, “Mr. Nacht, are you sending Ms. Lindberg away on purpose?”
After all the years he had spent working for Zachary, Ben knew his employer well enough to confidently say that he always drew a line between work and personal affairs, and he would not sabotage Charlotte with a request like that.
If he really felt that it was unfair for Charlotte to hold so many shares, he could have negotiated with her to reduce the number of shares she held or even asked her to invest more money in the project.
His seemingly unreasonable request for Charlotte to get support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Erihal was more likely a tactic to get her to leave H City for the short term.
“I guess you saw through my plans, huh?”
Zachary was reading some documents that Johann had sent him. It seemed like some issues had arisen yet again regarding the launch of the latest products.
“There are thirteen more days till the opening day of the territorial waters of the South Sea. Mr. Nacht probably won’t return to M Nation anytime soon. Are you sending Ms. Lindberg away for the time being so that you can deal with Mr. Nacht first and prevent the two from meeting each other?” Ben asked.
“Yeah.” Zachary nodded. “In the past few days, there have been multiple instances where the two of them almost met each other in person. If they do, all hell will break loose, and I’m not taking any chances!”
“That’s true.” As Ben recalled those stressful times, he felt a chill run down his spine.
“When Charlotte goes to Erihal, I’ll take care of the matters regarding Henry and pay a visit to Phoenix City.” Zachary had it all planned out. “I need you to check on what happened to Dr. Felch for me.”
“Understood.”
Two years ago, when Charlotte had gone missing, Hayley and Sam desperately wanted to bring Dr. Felch back to Phoenix City despite the fact that he had not even woken up from his coma back then.
Zachary did not force them to stay and simply gave them some money before they left.
He knew that they had lost all their trust in him after Charlotte’s disappearance. Just like Olivia, the two of them even began suspecting him for plotting the deaths of Charlotte and Mrs. Berry for the sake of keeping her children.
As he had expected, when Hayley and Sam left H City, they immediately cut off all connections with the Nacht family.
Olivia had also left with her mother and never returned.
When he saw for himself how horrendous Charlotte’s relapses were the night before, he was extremely shocked. In his head, he swore to himself that he would not let her suffer any longer from her illness, nor would he let her shun him for what he had done.
He needed to find Dr. Felch as soon as possible so that the poison lingering in her body could be removed.
Hayley and Sam would never help him with that because of the huge misunderstanding between them and the incidents in the past that had severely wounded Dr. Felch. As such, he decided that he had to take care of the matter personally to ensure that everything would unfold as planned.
The only catch about it was that in his absence, Henry might encounter Charlotte. In order to prevent that, he had to convince Charlotte to leave H City. At the same time, he needed to get Henry to return to M Nation as quickly as possible.
That way, he would be able to focus on the urgent matters at hand.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 802
In the afternoon, everyone was occupied with work.
Zachary was back at his company while Charlotte went to the South Sea to supervise the area.
On the other hand, Louis busied himself welcoming his five business partners and their family members. He was also hosting a small banquet that night to ease the tension between them.
Just as Zachary was signing his papers in his office, he suddenly received a call from Louis.
“Zachary, you must attend my banquet tonight, got it? I’ve done my part as per your instructions, so please do me a favor and come.” Louis nagged.
“Okay. It’s at seven, right? I’ll see you there.” Zachary did not want to listen to him ramble on and on.
“Alright, see you.”
After hanging up the call, Zachary got Ben to jot down his plans for the night. He then had a meeting with Johann and the others to discuss their latest products.
Before he knew it, it was already six at night. Zachary was still busy working.
Ben tried to remind him that it was about time to go but dared not be too pushy about it.
In the end, Zachary finally looked up from his pile of papers at about six twenty. Upon looking at the clock, he hastened his steps and set off for Ashenville Garden.
By the time they left the company, it was already the rush hour, and they were soon faced with traffic congestion. At seven o’clock, they were once again stuck at the exit of the highway. A familiar silver Rolls-Royce came in sight.
Marino immediately recognized it and said, “It’s them again. What a small world. I’m not letting them have their way with us this time.”
“Gosh, you’d better be careful, lest we get into an accident and waste even more time,” Ben said.
“I won’t let that happen.” Marino’s competitive nature was showing, and he began speeding up to overtake the silver Rolls-Royce before zooming off garishly.
“Hah!” Marino was absolutely delighted. “I’ve finally won that devil of a woman!”
Zachary looked at the rearview mirror.
The silver Rolls-Royce had caught up with them, and the woman driving the car had a bitter expression on her face, looking like an angry cat.
In response, Marino stepped on the accelerator.
The two heated drivers exchanged gazes. Though they were in a furious car chase, there seemed to be some sort of chemistry between them.
Out of the blue, Zachary asked, “Marino, how long have you been with me?”
“Huh?” Marino blinked, then stammered, “E-Eight years, Mr. Nacht.”
“He has been with you since he was thirteen,” Ben added.
“Hmm.” Zachary nodded.
Even as Marino continued driving, his hands began trembling uncontrollably. He thought he had just made a terrible mistake, and Zachary was about to kick him out.
“I have a task for you!” Zachary suddenly said.
“What is it, Mr. Nacht? I will do anything for you! I’m at your disposal. My life is also at your disposal, but please… don’t kick me out…” Marino exclaimed emotionally.
He was almost choking and his eyes were turning red.
Ben also felt a little uneasy and turned to observe Zachary.
Just then, the silver Rolls-Royce sped past them.
Morgan stuck her hand out the window and gave Marino a thumbs down.
Marino gritted his teeth. He would have stopped the car and fought with her if he could, but he had more pressing matters at hand. Looking at the rearview mirror, he spoke to Zachary with a shaking voice. “Mr. Nacht, what’s the task you have for me?”
“The woman on that car is called Morgan.” Zachary pointed at the silver Rolls-Royce. “I want you to get her!”
Ben was stunned.
“Huh?” Marino gasped. His brows furrowed, and his expression turned stiff. “Even though she’s annoying, but I… I don’t think she deserves to die…”
“Nobody’s asking you to kill her!” Zachary was rather exasperated. “I’m asking you to court her and flirt with her. Flirt! Do you get it?”
Marino was so dazed that it took him a few moments to get back to his senses. Flushing, he mumbled, “I… I don’t know how!”
“Teach him.” Zachary gave Ben a stern look.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 803
“What?” The corners of Ben’s lips twitched. “I don’t…”
“If you dare say that you don’t know how to flirt, I’ll cut your tongue off. If you don’t know, then learn! It’s that easy. Don’t tell me it’s more difficult than firing a gun?” Zachary snapped.
“I understand.” Ben lowered his head.
“Okay…” Marino replied nervously, his entire face wrenching up.
Soon, they arrived at Ashenville Garden. Zachary initially wanted to change into a new set of clothes before going there, but Louis had called him yet again to urge him to hurry up. “You’re half an hour late. Everyone’s waiting for you.”
“I’ll be there soon.” Zachary was heading straight for the banquet hall.
Ben asked one of the bodyguards at the hot spring resort to send a set of clothes over.
When Zachary arrived at the banquet hall, he found another car that belonged to the Nacht family parked behind his. Cynthia had also arrived.
“Why did you come?” Zachary could not help but frown.
“I was just going out to have some fresh air when I heard that you needed some clothes to be delivered to you. So, I just came over.” Cynthia smiled as she gestured to Zachary.
“There’s no need for all the trouble.” Zachary did not overthink her unexpected arrival despite feeling somewhat annoyed.
Ben walked up to her and took over the clothes.
“You should go back and rest now,” Zachary said, walking off.
To his utter horror, the group of guests in the banquet hall suddenly came out to welcome him, and a woman called Mrs. Morgana immediately spotted Cynthia. “Hey! Isn’t this Mrs. Nacht?” she yelled.
“You’re right! It’s her!” Mrs. Lorenzo seemed rather excited too. “This is Mrs. Nacht indeed! I saw her on the news! Mr. Nacht, I didn’t know that you were bringing your family along for the night as well! That’s great. We can all get to know each other!”
Zachary immediately gave Ben a steely look.
Ben started panicking and urged the bodyguards to bring Cynthia back.
However, at that very moment, a foreboding, crisp voice echoed from a distance. “What’s with the secrecy? Can’t we take a look at her?”
Just as Charlotte had gotten changed and came out, she heard the commotion outside the banquet hall.
The woman in question that those people were buzzing about had not gotten out of the car, and Charlotte could not see her face.
That sparked Charlotte’s interest in the mysterious woman Zachary was trying to hide.
For Zachary, the last thing he wanted was for Cynthia and Charlotte to meet.
If Charlotte listens in on the gossip those guests are rambling on about and deduce that the Nacht family had replaced her with Cynthia…
Before Zachary could do anything else, Cynthia’s medical staff was already escorting her out of the car.
She smiled and waved at the guests who were talking about her.
Zachary’s expression instantly darkened. Grabbing onto Cynthia’s arm, he desperately wanted to shove her back into the car.
However, in the eyes of the onlookers, they saw it as a kind act to support Cynthia.
Oh, what a loving couple!
The worst had happened, and it was too late to reverse it.
Charlotte had finally gotten a better look at Cynthia’s face. The moment her eyes landed on the woman in the distance, a complex yet strange feeling that could not be described with words began surging through her veins.
A nauseating sensation overwhelmed her body, and something cold was oozing out from her nose.
“Charlotte!” Louis came rushing over and put his arm around her shoulder to support her.
When Zachary noticed that Charlotte was having a nosebleed, he also ran over to her but was suddenly met by Charlotte’s scathing glare.
Her eyes were burning with the unmistakable flames of vengeance and hatred.
Zachary froze in his tracks. His eyes widened in shock.
Did she remember something?
Or… Did she find out about something?
“Charlotte, are you okay?” Louis was also taken aback by Charlotte’s expression.
A stinging pain grappled with Charlotte’s brain. She felt a sudden surge of emotions just seconds ago, but everything was fading away again.
“You should go in and rest first.” Louis promptly brought Charlotte into the house.
Upon seeing Charlotte’s sudden breakdown, the other guests at the scene had no idea how to react and simply stood there silently.
As Zachary watched Charlotte go further and further away from him, he felt like he was sinking into a bottomless, dark abyss.
He was stricken by the realization that Charlotte might have already found out about Cynthia replacing her two years ago before she had even lost her memories.
Otherwise, she would not be so innately curious about the woman by his side, nor would she react that way upon seeing Cynthia.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 804
Zachary felt someone tug on his arm from behind.
“F*ck off!” he roared.
Cynthia shuddered, and she turned pale.
The two female medical staff beside her also shook in fear, holding in their breaths.
Zachary’s fury also scared away the guests at the scene.
After a long, dreadful silence, Zachary finally took a deep breath before turning to look at Cynthia.
With tears welling up in her eyes, Cynthia quivered as she gestured to Zachary. “Zachary, did I do something wrong? Did I do something to anger you?”
For some reason, Zachary could not bear to lash out at her any longer.
Frowning, he ordered, “Send her back.”
“Understood.” The medical staff promptly helped Cynthia back into the car.
The bodyguard closed the doors and drove off.
All the while, Ben was observing Zachary’s facial expressions very closely. Eyeing him tentatively, he said, “I don’t think Ms. Lindberg has recalled anything just yet. This is no time to be panicking like this. How about we go in and check on her?”
Zachary strode off without even looking at him.
On the surface, the banquet hall still seemed rather lively, with the incredible piano pieces filling up the entire room. However, the guests dared not dance or enjoy themselves at all due to the unmistakable tension lingering in the air.
Zachary hurried over to the lounge. The door was left ajar. Louis was doing all he could to take care of Charlotte. “How are you feeling? Do you need me to call an ambulance?”
“I’m fine…” Charlotte had regained her composure. After drinking a cup of warm water, she finally looked up. Catching a glimpse of Zachary at the door, her gaze turned cold. “Mr. Nacht, don’t you need to keep your wife company? Why are you here?”
Zachary wanted to ask her how she was feeling, but somehow, he simply could not say those words. “Ms. Lindberg, you’re in poor health. You should go back and rest soon.”
“Your wife is the one in poor health.” Charlotte raised her eyebrows. “I don’t care if I’m at the workplace or on the battlefield. I, Charlotte Lindberg, am never backing down!”
“That better be the case!”
Zachary locked gazes with her solemnly, then left.
He slouched as he walked off and clenched his fists.
Even though he was worried sick for her, he could not even go up to her and comfort her in his arms, nor did he have the chance to explain himself.
That, to him, was the most painful feeling ever.
“What’s going on?” Louis turned to look at Zachary as he left, sinking into deep thought. After a short pause, he mumbled softly, “Why does everyone say that the woman in the car is Zachary’s wife? Didn’t his wife go missing?”
“You should go first. You need to welcome the guests outside.” Charlotte did not catch what Louis was saying and urged him to attend to the people outside. “Don’t let the unfortunate events from last night repeat themselves. Don’t let Zachary ruin this banquet.”
“Right… Okay, I shall head out first.” Louis shakily got up. Before leaving the room, he looked back and asked, “Are you really okay?”
“I’m fine. I’ll fix my makeup and join you.” Charlotte smiled at him.
“Okay.” Louis left hurriedly.
As the door to the lounge closed, Charlotte’s expression turned bitter. “Run a background check on that woman,” she ordered.
“We’ve already done it.” Lupine was quite an efficient worker. “She’s from the Blackwood family. She’s the half-sister of Sharon Blackwood whom you have seen before. They share the same father. Here’s what I’ve found.”
Charlotte swept her eyes across the papers and smirked. “Hmph. She’s a mute.”
“The Nacht family is one of the most powerful and wealthy families in the country, yet they choose to arrange for their heir to marry a mute?” Morgan was rather baffled.
“Dig out everything about their marriage from two years ago! All related news articles, including videos and photos of the wedding. I want them all!” Charlotte snarled.
“Got it!” Lupine sprang into action.
A maid helped Charlotte fix her makeup, and she left the lounge after adjusting her hair and clothes.
Meanwhile, in the banquet hall, the tension seemed to have eased.
Louis began to strike conversations with the guests.
Furthermore, Mr. Morgana and Mr. Lorenzo also told their wives off in a corner. They even went so far as to tell the two ladies to seal their mouths tight for the night.
Mrs. Morgana and Mrs. Lorenzo had never ceased to offend Zachary since the night before. Being aware of that, the two ladies sat down in a corner, not speaking a single word even to each other.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 805
As Zachary watched Charlotte walk up to him from a distance emanating a savage aura, his eyes lit up as if he remembered something. He quickly turned to Ben and said, “Tell Bruce to destroy all evidence relating to my wedding from two years ago. Don’t let anyone find a single trace of anything.”
“Got it.” Ben immediately got going.
Zachary was well aware that the woman before him was no longer the Charlotte Windt he had known in the past.
With that fiery temper of hers now, she would go on an uncontrollable rampage to seek revenge on him and his family if she were to get her hands on any evidence.
“Mr. Nacht! a toast to you!” Just then, Mr. Morgana had come over with his wife, wanting to apologize. “My ignorant wife had said some foolish words. I’m really sorry about that.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Nacht. I’m terrible with words…”
The two ladies began apologizing to Zachary, holding up their wine glasses.
“If you’re bad with words, then shut up,” Zachary replied coldly.
The two ladies blinked, their faces burning up in embarrassment.
Mr. Morgana and Mr. Lorenzo also exchanged awkward looks.
Zachary broke the silence by clinking glasses with them before walking away.
After he left, the two husbands turned to their wives. “If you say something without thinking again, I’ll sew your mouth shut personally!”
“Everyone knows how big-mouthed you are. Nobody would take you for a mute even if you don’t speak up.”
…
Meanwhile, Charlotte had begun to network with the guests at the banquet. Despite the fact that she just had a nosebleed a few moments ago, she recovered quickly and was now conversing with the guests with ease.
Those around her began toasting with her and even had discussions about their future partnerships.
Zachary stared at her in silence from the side. He could not help but lament in his head how blind he was back then to not notice her aptitude for business.
Oh, how she has changed in the short span of two years…
“Zachary, come sit at the table. Let us have dinner!”
Louis pulled Zachary over and called for the other guests to follow suit.
At the long, rectangular dining table, the male and female guests were seated on opposite sides facing each other.
Louis sat down at the head of the table, with Zachary and Charlotte sitting on his sides.
After getting all the guests to settle down, Louis began making a short speech and even gave an impromptu piano performance. Everyone began enjoying their meals which were elevated by the elegant music in the room.
Zachary caught sight of Charlotte sipping on her wine and said, “You should drink a little less if you’re not feeling well.”
“You should leave those words for your wife.” Charlotte twirled her wine glass gracefully, curving her lips. “I’m not the type of woman to buy into those words.”
“She’s not my wife,” Zachary explained in a low voice.
“Hah!” Charlotte sneered and glared at him with a look of disdain. “Are you treating me like an idiot or something?”
Zachary felt stumped and gave up explaining for himself.
When Louis’s piano piece came to an end, he returned to his seat and held up his wine glass to toast to a smooth-sailing partnership and to welcome Charlotte to the project.
Charlotte stood up and raised her glass.
All heads at the table turned toward Zachary.
Under the scrutiny of so many people, Zachary had no choice but to stand and clink glasses with her.
Upon seeing that, the rest of the guests at the table all seemed to heave a sigh of relief.
Earlier on, they heard from Louis that Charlotte and Zachary had resolved their conflicts and that Charlotte would be able to officially join the project once she obtains the authorization documents from the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Erihal.
From their knowledge, it would not be difficult for someone from the Lindberg family to do so.
Hence, they were congratulating her in advance.
Moreover, given that Zachary did not openly express any displeasure toward her, it would mean that he had come to accept her as a business partner in some way.
And so, the atmosphere in the room finally livened up, and everyone seemed to be more relaxed.
It finally felt as if a banquet was being hosted.
After having a few drinks, Louis plucked up his courage and invited Charlotte for a dance, to which she happily agreed.
The two of them danced a graceful waltz, accompanied by the romantic piece played on the piano. They looked like a match made in heaven, winning applause and words of praise from the guests.
As Zachary looked on, he could barely hide the bitterness on his face. He had not expected Louis to persist with his advances despite his attempts to keep him away from Charlotte. It seems like I have underestimated my rival…
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 806
Even as the waltz ended, Louis seemed unwilling to remove his hand from Charlotte’s waist.
Nudging his chest away gently with a finger, Charlotte was about to turn around and leave.
To her utter surprise, Louis suddenly knelt on one knee and whipped out a diamond ring before announcing, “Charlotte, please be my girlfriend!”
The other guests in the room gasped.
Nobody had expected such a shocking surprise to occur that night.
In the festive atmosphere, all of the guests stood up and chanted, “Say yes! Say yes!”
On the other hand, Zachary’s brows furrowed even deeper. He had been friends with Louis for years but never expected that his friend had such a romantic side to him.
He had reminded Louis time after time to stay away from Charlotte until he felt certain that Louis had understood his words, yet Louis had plotted such a flashy confession.
“Louis, whatever are you doing?” Charlotte swept her eyes across the room and frowned at Louis. “Please get up!”
“You need to give me an answer first.” Louis gazed at her affectionately. “It’s alright. There’s no pressure. Even if you reject me, I’ll continue to wait for you!”
Looking into Louis’s eyes, Charlotte replied after a moment of pause. “I’ll give you a reply when I come back from Erihal.”
“Really? That’s great!”
Louis was absolutely delighted. He had a feeling that Charlotte would not give him an assertive answer that night. However, a direct reply and exact timing were all that he needed to hear.
Charlotte helped Louis up and hugged him before they returned to their seats.
She unconsciously sneaked a glance at Zachary and found that his eyes were fixed on her.
As they locked gazes, an unfathomable glint sparked off in both of their eyes.
Keeping her guard up, Charlotte was the one to shift her gaze away first.
Zachary looked back down at his wine glass. As he took a few more sips, he felt a sense of fear stirring up his heart even though he was expressionless.
Based on Charlotte’s attitude toward Louis, he could tell that she was not repulsed by him to the slightest.
Another thought that slipped into his mind was what Bruce had said to him before. That Charlotte was indeed a changed person, and she might value the gains of her family more than her own emotions.
With those observations in mind, Zachary began to see a possibility of Charlotte agreeing to become Louis’s girlfriend.
After experiencing so many ups and downs in the past few years, Zachary had also transformed into a more composed man. His former self would have gone on a rampage from jealousy, but instead, he was now analyzing the situation calmly.
No matter how insecure and heartbroken he felt on the inside, he would never let himself do anything on impulse.
“Sir Louis! Ms. Lindberg! Let us toast to you two!”
The guests raised their glasses once more, this time to congratulate the possible birth of a new couple. Many were telling Charlotte about how great of a match Louis was for her.
Charlotte simply smiled and did not give a response.
The people around her immediately took it as silent consent.
In their eyes, Charlotte had already accepted Louis to be her lover and only wanted to test him a little more out of shyness and consideration for her family.
It’s just a matter of time before they start dating each other!
Just then, the atmosphere in the hall became romantic as a piece with a love theme was being played on the piano.
The guests were enjoying themselves amidst their chatters.
In a dark corner of the room, Zachary sat there alone, tasting every last drop of his wine like a complete outcast.
After a few glasses of wine, he finally put his glass down and got up to get his coat.
Louis suddenly popped up out of nowhere. “Zachary, come drink with us!”
“I’ll be going home now.” Zachary smiled stiffly. “You guys can have fun.”
He then turned to look at Charlotte. “Charlotte, have a safe journey tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Charlotte replied curtly, smiling coldly.
“Mr. Nacht, why are you leaving so early?” The other guests asked tentatively.
Zachary waved at them and left without looking back.
As Ben followed behind him, he could not help but lament to himself. Oh, Mr. Nacht has truly matured.
If it were two years ago, Sir Louis would have been lying on the ground bleeding from his nose by now…
Before Zachary got on his car, he could no longer hold himself back and turned around to look. Louis and Charlotte were standing at the balcony on the second floor, enjoying the refreshing night breeze as they conversed with each other.
The two of them seemed extremely intimate.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 807
Louis took his coat off and draped it over Charlotte, putting an arm around her in the process.
Charlotte did not look uncomfortable at all. As she turned her body slightly, she looked out from the balcony casually.
Somehow, she was able to lock gazes with Zachary.
Zachary was staring at her with a pained expression while Charlotte kept an aloof stance. She quickly looked away, continuing her conversation with Louis.
Frowning and not saying a single word, Zachary got into his car.
“How about we try contacting Ms. Lindberg using another identity?” Ben suggested hesitantly.
“If she really has feelings for Louis, nothing will change her mind.”
Zachary sounded oddly emotionless, but his troubled eyes gave him away.
Ben dared not speak another word and silently sat by his side.
Soon, they returned to the hot spring resort.
Zachary was about to head back to his room to rest when he came across Cynthia in the living room on the first floor.
She was sitting on the sofa, leaning on a cushion as she stole anxious glances of him.
Upon seeing him return, she stood up and began gesturing to him. “Zachary, I need to talk to you.”
“Hmm?” Zachary stopped in his tracks, looking at her with a frown on his face.
“I know that I must have caused you trouble today, but I really didn’t mean it.”
Tears were welling up in her eyes as she desperately tried to explain herself to Zachary.
“I’ve stayed in my room the entire day and simply wanted to go out and get some fresh air in the evening. When I saw a bodyguard bringing your clothes out and was told that he’s sending them to the banquet hall, I wanted to follow along and deliver them to you… That’s all I wanted to do.”
“I understand. You should rest soon. Good night,” Zachary replied dispassionately.
With that, he strode off and went upstairs.
As Cynthia watched him leave, her expression turned solemn. Looking down at the floor, tears of sorrow trickled down her cheeks.
“Ms. Blackwood, please don’t be too upset. Mr. Nacht definitely trusts you. You should go rest now and don’t overthink it, okay?” Her medical staff tried to comfort her.
When Zachary returned to his room, he took off his jacket, loosened up his shirt, and poured himself a glass of wine. Slouching on the sofa, he gulped down a glass.
Just then, his phone rang. It was Henry.
He exhaled deeply in annoyance, put his phone on mute, and ignored the call completely.
Scenes of Charlotte being intimate with Louis from the banquet replayed again and again in his head. The possibility of those two going a step further in their relationship was driving him crazy.
He downed glass after glass of the wine.
Under the dim lights, the alluring purple smoke from the aroma lamp enveloped his body, stirring up something heated and passionate within him.
He opened a few more buttons and continued to drink.
All of a sudden, a knocking sound interrupted his drinking.
“What is it?” Zachary growled.
He did not get a response. Instead, the door to his room swung right open, and Cynthia entered the room, dragging her injured leg. She had a tray in hand containing a bowl of hot soup.
She closed the door and knelt before Zachary. Placing the hot soup on the table, she pulled on his shirt. “You’re terribly drunk. It’s not good for your health. I made you some hot soup. Have some.” She gestured.
Zachary’s brows were furrowed. Giving her the cold shoulder, he said, “I got it. You should leave now.”
After picking up his blazer from the floor and hanging it up, Cynthia pushed on the door.
To her surprise, the door did not bulge and seemed locked.
She hurried over to Zachary and gestured frantically. “Zachary, the door has been locked from the other side!”
Wobbling from side to side, Zachary stood up and staggered toward the door. However, a nauseating feeling suddenly hit him, and he collapsed.
Cynthia immediately ran up to support him, but she was not strong enough. In the end, the two of them landed together on the bed.
As Zachary looked at the blurry face of a woman under his body, he sank into the hallucination that she was Charlotte. Running his fingers through her hair, he moaned, “Charlotte…”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 808
Cynthia stared at him lovingly, but she stiffened up when Zachary uttered the name of another woman. She felt conflicted, but instead of pushing him away, she held his face and went in for a kiss. Just then, a sudden knock on the door stopped her.
Zachary shook his head and sobered up a little. When he saw the person before him was Cynthia instead of Charlotte, he quickly backed off in horror.
He could see Cynthia looking equally shocked for different reasons, but all he could do was muster a curt apology before darting into the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face to sober up. Cynthia was still in the room when he came out. She was gripping her collar, staring at him with a panicked look. He frowned. “Why are you still here?”
She gestured. “Someone locked the door from outside.”
Zachary frowned and went to open the door, but it was unlocked, though what he saw made him wish it was.
“Hey, Zachary! Have a drink with us!” Louis was hollering happily outside, and Charlotte was beside him, but everything went dead silent when they saw Cynthia in the room.
“Um, am I bothering you?” Louis was awkward.
“Obviously.”
Charlotte was smiling mirthlessly, the gaze in her eyes cold. Even though she hated Zachary, she was still furious when she saw him in the same room with another woman. She even felt a sense of bitterness in her heart.
“Right… Sorry about that. We’ll be off right away.” Louis was about to drag Charlotte away, but Zachary held his shoulder and invited him to the study.
“Nah. We’re just going to bother you.” Louis wanted to refuse, but he couldn’t.
Just then, Cynthia came out in a hurry and bumped into Charlotte. She stiffened as she stared at Charlotte in bewilderment. She had seen Charlotte before in the Nacht residence. There were photos of her in Zachary’s and the children’s room. That’s her. She’s the one in the photos with Zachary and the kids. But I thought she’s dead…
“You seem to know me.” Cynthia’s reaction didn’t escape Charlotte, and she narrowed her eyes at the former.
Cynthia shook her head nervously and ran down the stairs in a hurry, almost tripping on the way. Luckily, one of the medical staff managed to catch her in time.
As she watched Cynthia leave, Charlotte squinted at her. For some reason, all she could feel toward Cynthia was a fiery hatred.
“This way, Ms. Lindberg.” Zachary invited her to his study and gave a look to Ben, who was downstairs.
Ben gestured at him, saying that he had dealt with Cain and Kyle. He was also keeping an eye on Cynthia and her henchmen to keep them from telling anyone about Charlotte’s existence.
Zachary nodded and led Charlotte to his study.
“We’re just here to have a drink with you, Zachary.” Louis was like a cat on hot bricks; all he wanted to do at that moment was to leave. “But I think we should leave now. We wouldn’t want to bother you and Ms. Blackwood now.”
“Yeah. We don’t want to be a bother.” Charlotte’s tone was icy and she didn’t even bother to glance at Zachary.
“She was just there to give me my meds,” Zachary explained.
“Giving you meds in the middle of the night in disheveled clothes?” Charlotte sneered. “You seem to take us for fools.”
“Don’t be shy, Zachary. We’re all adults here.” Louis smiled. “But that’s the Blackwoods’ young miss, isn’t she? Why did Mrs. Morgana and Mrs. Lorenzo say she’s your wife? I thought your wife is a commoner.”
“She’s not my wife. We aren’t in that kind of relationship.” Zachary was getting tired of explaining the same thing over and over. “Whether you believe it or not, that’s the truth.”
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 809
“I only believe what I saw.” Charlotte threw him a dirty look and left.
“Wait for me, Charlotte!” Louis hollered after her and stood up. “See you around, Zachary. I’ll be going to Erihal with Charlotte tomorrow. That’s what I wanted to tell you.”
“Why are you going with her?” Zachary frowned. “I thought you’re going to survey the project?”
“Um… I just have to go with her. Alright, I’ll see you around, bye.” Louis chased after her in a hurry.
The frown on Zachary’s forehead deepened. His plan was only for Charlotte to leave, he never expected that Louis would follow her.
She’s going to fall for him at this rate.
With that thought in mind, Zachary went after them.
Charlotte smelled the scent of flowers when she went past Zachary’s room. She reflexively took a look inside and noticed the suggestive lighting, the clothes on the ground, and the carnal air that was coming from the room. She smirked, but her gaze was filled with disgust. She quickened her pace down the stairs.
Louis quickly came up to her and draped his jacket over her. “It’s windy today. Take my jacket and keep yourself warm.”
“Thank you.”
They were about to get into their car when Zachary caught up to them. “Louis!”
“What is it?” Louis stopped in his tracks and looked back.
“I need you to go to Paris for a survey.” Zachary cut to the chase. “Fly there tomorrow, and I’ll meet up with you once I’m done attending to matters.”
“I’ll go to Erihal with Charlotte first.” Louis wasn’t going to miss the chance to be alone with Charlotte.
“No. It’s urgent, so you have to go there ASAP,” Zachary urged. “Besides, she’s not a kid. You don’t have to babysit her.”
“But Zachary—”
“It’s alright, I’ll go by myself,” Charlotte interrupted. “He’s right. The sooner the base is finished, the smoother the progress can be.”
Louis’ face fell, and he glared at Zachary as if he was using his gaze to say, “This is how you thank me after I helped you? Fine then. It’s payback time.”
“Safe trip.” Zachary smiled.
“Take care of your wife,” Louis blurted.
Zachary narrowed his eyes at him coldly. Oh, so he’s trying to trip me up, huh?
“You’re a married man, Mr. Nacht. I’d refrain from any flirting if I were you.” Charlotte looked at him coldly. “Get in,” she told Louis.
“Okay.” Louis quickly went in and sit beside her. “I won’t ever look at anyone else if we’re married, Charlotte.”
What the hell? Louis, you b*stard!
As the car drove away, Louis smirked at Zachary and went back to Charlotte. “Can’t I come with you, Charlotte? My dad’s in Paris right now, so it’s fine if I’m not there.”
“Your father is there himself?”
“Yeah. Our family is serious about this project.”
“Looks like I made the right choice then.”
“But of course.”
Their intimacy infuriated Zachary. I have to make my move now, or that dipsh*t might just make it. Zachary was still frustrated when he went back to his room. He was worried Charlotte might fall for Louis if he kept staying with her, so he texted Charlotte with Gigolo’s phone: Wanna meet up tonight?
Charlotte texted back a long while later: Midnight at Sultry Night.
Zachary: Sure.
Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 810
Charlotte got out of the car and went to her villa after replying to Gigolo.
“Good night, Charlotte.” Louis saw her off reluctantly.
Charlotte waved him goodbye without looking back. She then whispered to Lupine, “See if Zachary’s leaving Ashenville Garden.”
“Yes.” Lupine exited through the back door. At the same time, Zachary had changed into a new set of clothes and left with Ben, Marino, and two bodyguards. They went with a servant’s car to stay away from prying eyes.
“Should we retrieve the Pagani from Happy Avenue, Mr. Nacht?” Marino knew of all Zachary’s habits.
“No.” Zachary looked at the time. “A Pagani’s tire costs a bomb. A normal gigolo can’t afford that.”
“Oh, right.” Realization struck Marino.
“I thought I asked you to deal with that lady? There doesn’t seem to be any progress to me.” Zachary was suddenly reminded of this matter.
“I, well, there wasn’t any opening tonight.” Marino’s face turned scarlet.
“It’s a bit hard for Marino, Mr. Nacht.” Ben tried to pacify his boss. “Marino’s been working for you since he was thirteen, and it’s only been eight years since then. He has never dated a woman, so he knows nothing about courting.”
“I see.” Zachary nodded. “It seems that I should have sent you instead. You’re more experienced than he is since you know your way around Sultry Night thanks to me.”
“What?” Ben was shocked. He didn’t expect to land himself in trouble just because he helped Marino out.
“Hmm. Alright, I’ve decided…” Zachary pointed at Ben and commanded, “Lupine’s yours.” He then turned to Marino. “And you’ll deal with Morgan.”
“I—” Marino was panicking, but he didn’t dare to object.
“But Lupine’s one cold, grumpy, and arrogant b*tch. She’s unreasonable and gets on my nerves every time. You can’t be serious, Mr. Nacht.” Ben was almost begging. “Please don’t push this onto me.”
“She gets on your nerves because she wants you to like her, get it?” Zachary gave him a tip.
But Ben couldn’t accept it. “That can’t be.”
“If I say she does it because she likes you, then that’s the truth.” Zachary didn’t back down. “Are you defying my orders?”
“No.” Ben had no choice but to take the mission. Marino gave him a look of pity, and he returned it. Both men had a look of hopelessness on their faces.
At the same time, Charlotte had changed and was about to get into her car when Lupine came bearing news. “Zachary has left, but not in his Rolls-Royce. He’s using his subordinate’s Benz. Here’s the plate.” She handed her phone to Charlotte.
Charlotte took a look and memorized the plate number. She was going to see if Zachary was Gigolo that night. He’s dead if he is.
After putting a mask on, Zachary went into Sultry Night. As usual, it was packed, and the crowd was rowdy. He hated it, but he put up with it because he could see Charlotte soon.
Zachary looked at the time and realized he was ten minutes early, so he went to his room to see if there was anything on him that would give him away. The first thing he noticed was the wound on his neck.
She must have noticed this by now, but she didn’t suspect a thing because she trusts Gigolo. But if that trust is lost, there’s going to be a world of trouble waiting for me…
Zachary took a dagger out and made a few more scratches on his wound.
“What are you doing, Mr. Nacht?” Ben was surprised.
“Shut up and give me the medical kit,” Zachary commanded.
“Yes sir.” Ben hastily got the medical kit and took out the bandage and hemostatic dressing to stop the bleeding.
Zachary made the bite mark on his neck look like a slash mark. Since it was still fresh, he had to stop its bleeding and get it bandaged.