Ch. 81..100

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 81

The both of them didn’t exchange a single word throughout the entire journey. Soon, the car finally pulled up outside an extravagant villa.

Charlotte pressed her nose to the window as they rolled up to the gates. There were all sorts of luxury cars parked there, and that was how she knew that the event tonight was going to be a huge one. Immediately, she asked, “What sort of event is this?”

“It’s just a normal charity gala,” Zachary replied plainly. “Don’t get nervous. Just stay beside me.”

“Why did you choose me to come with you?” she asked, feeling rather confused. “I’m just a lowly security guard, and there isn’t anything I can do for you…”

“You’re full of rubbish, you know that?” he interrupted her nastily before he got out of the car.

She pouted unhappily, following him out of the vehicle. As she did so, she nearly tripped and twisted her ankle, but Raina caught her in the nick of time.

A man in a suit came forward with his assistant to welcome them. “Mr. Nacht, the guests have all arrived!” When he saw Charlotte, he bowed deeply towards her and said respectfully, “Good evening, Miss.”

“Good evening,” Charlotte replied courteously. She was a little surprised at how respectfully everyone was treating her.

Zachary followed the man into the villa.

Charlotte struggled to keep up with him in her heels and decided to follow him from a distance away. Suddenly, she spotted a white Bentley among the crowd of cars.

That’s Hector’s car. Is he here tonight, too?

A few steps later, she spotted a Porsche that definitely belonged to Simon.

She frowned worriedly. This event sure had a long guest list. As long as Simon was here to attend this gala, Amanda was sure to be around as well.

Oh no. Will Amanda tell Zachary about the fact that I’m the mother of three children?

If I get into an argument with Amanda because of this, I would probably embarrass Zachary to death.

It spelled nothing but trouble for her…

As Charlotte’s thoughts wandered further and further, she suddenly bumped into something very tall and hard.

She was so shocked that she jumped a little. Putting her hand up to shield herself, she looked up and saw that she had bumped into Zachary, who had been waiting for her in front. However, as she struggled with her thoughts, she had walked straight into his rock-solid chest!

“Why do you look so distracted?” he asked, his low voice sounding very enigmatic indeed in the night.

“No—nothing…” Charlotte felt a little panicked. “I—I suddenly feel a little unwell. Why don’t I return home first…”

Before she could finish speaking, he grabbed hold of her arm and steered her into the villa.

She tried to shake herself free, but it was to no avail. Finally, she gave up and let him drag her into the house by her hand.

Feeling the warmth of his hand, her heart beat even faster. She could feel her face turning red.

His legs were very long, so he sped ahead very quickly. She had to jog in order to keep up. In the end, he conceded defeat and slowed down for her, which allowed her to catch her breath for a brief moment.

The moonlight shone down on the two of them, making the atmosphere extremely romantic.

When they arrived at the ballroom, the champagne-colored doors swung open. Immediately, they could hear the dulcet sounds of a string quartet from inside the room.

The numerous chandeliers shone down so brightly that she felt momentarily blinded. She quickly shut her eyes immediately. At that moment, however, applause rang out from every corner of the room.

Zachary pulled her arm around his waist and forced her to walk into the room with him.

When she finally got used to the light, Charlotte opened her eyes slowly and found a room full of people who were smiling respectfully at her.

She felt as though she had entered into a separate world.

She thought she had been transported back to her childhood. Back when her father was still alive, her family used to throw parties like this once in a while. All of them had been just as grand as this one was.

She had fallen from heaven four years ago and suffered all sorts of earthly trials. The world seemed so cold and ghastly to her, and she feared that she would never return to her glorious past again…

However, the man next to her had bestowed upon her the highest honor again!

Deep in the crowd of people, Amanda rubbed her eyes and asked Luna, “Are my eyes playing tricks on me? That woman next to Mr. Nacht is Charlotte, isn’t she? I think my eyes are failing me.”

“I think my eyes are failing me, too…” Luna pushed forward and got a good look at the woman. When she saw who Zachary had his arms around, the color drained from her face. “Mom, it’s her! It’s that little b—”

“Be quiet!” Amanda clamped a hand over her daughter’s mouth immediately. “Don’t you dare go shooting off your mouth today. If someone overhears you, you’ll get into a lot of trouble.”

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Simon, who was shocked to see Charlotte, asked Hector anxiously, “Hector, w-what’s going on? Why’s Charlotte with Mr. Nacht?”

However, the latter was so focused on looking at Charlotte that he did not hear whatever Simon was saying.

There was an unfathomable gaze in the man’s eyes, one that was a mixture of heartache, regret, and a sense of impending loss.

“Hector… “ Amanda walked over with Luna and said to the man softly, “Luna and I will be heading back first.”

“Alright.” That was what Hector had been hoping for.

“Everyone, please keep quiet!” The emcee announced on stage, “Mr. Nacht, our host, has arrived. I shall now declare the start of the charity auction. Everyone, please take your seats!”

All the guests proceeded to sit down in an orderly manner.

Hector and Simon took their seats while Amanda led Luna towards the exit discreetly. Just then, the door was suddenly shut, and the spotlight shone on the two women.

Caught in the act, both women looked awkward and embarrassed.

The rest of the guests were all looking at them with contemptuous looks on their faces. Someone even asked in a low voice, “Which family do they belong to? Where are their manners?”

“Obviously, they’re just bumpkins. If that’s the case, they should have stayed at home instead of being such an embarrassment.”

“Exactly!”

Hector immediately covered his face with his hands, feeling extremely reluctant to let the others know that those two women were his family members.

Simon smiled awkwardly at the other guests as he took quick strides towards Amanda and Luna. “Why are you two still standing here? Quick, return to your seats now.”

“We wouldn’t have come if we had known this would happen,” Luna mumbled to herself, feeling annoyed at the situation.

“Keep quiet. Isn’t this already embarrassing enough?” Amanda had experienced her fair share of ups and downs in life, so she was not particularly fazed. She bowed apologetically and said, “My apologies, everyone, this girl isn’t feeling well. We wanted to leave quietly to not create any disturbances to the event. We did not realize the auction had already started.”

“Mam, we have a lounge where you can rest,” a waiter informed Amanda softly.

“Oh, she’s fine now. We’re good. Haha… Thanks!”

Amanda dragged her daughter back to their seats, and the both of them sat down soon after, their faces flushing.

Luna noticed that Hector had been staring at Charlotte, who was seated at the front row, all the while. In contrast, he did not seem to care about her predicament. She was boiling with anger. Just as she was about to lash out at him, Amanda stopped her from doing that.

“No matter what happens tonight, you must control yourself. Do not let your emotions take over. Otherwise, we won’t just be embarrassing ourselves – we’ll be bringing shame to both the Whites and the Sterlings. Even worse, you might incur Hector’s wrath, and he might not take you out anymore if you get on his bad side.”

“I can’t accept this,” Luna said through gritted teeth. “All Charlotte Windt did was cozy up to a man. Who does she think she is… “

“Relax and stay calm. We don’t know that for a fact yet, so don’t get angry and jump to conclusions!” Amanda reprimanded Luna while trying to suppress her voice. “Do you think a high and mighty man like Mr. Nacht would be interested in a second-hand good? Especially one who has already given birth to three children? She’s merely attending an auction with him. That doesn’t mean anything.”

“You have a point,” Luna replied as a twinkle suddenly appeared in her eyes. “I bet Mr. Nacht isn’t aware of her background yet. I should tell him… “

“Stop right here!” Her mother quickly held her back. “I really wonder how I gave birth to a stupid girl like you. Can’t you use your brain a little?”

“What’s wrong?” Luna replied indignantly.

“Are you really asking me that?” Amanda frowned. “We’re not supposed to be the ones alerting Mr. Nacht to such information. If we do that, he wouldn’t have a good impression of us.”

“What shall we do then?” Luna was confused.

“Don’t worry, I have a plan.”

Amanda turned to look at the two men beside her. One of them was her husband, while the other was her son-in-law. Both men had their full attentions on Charlotte – they could not be bothered with her and Luna.

Amanda felt a flicker of irritation at that observation, but she knew that she shouldn’t let her personal feelings spoil the grand scheme of things.

“Let’s just watch the auction quietly first and go with the flow.”

The woman stared at Charlotte’s figure as the corners of her lips curled up into a cold and wicked smile.

“When did Charlotte get so chummy with Mr. Nacht?” Simon asked Hector again.

“She’s working at Divine Corporation and is Mr. Nacht’s employee,” the latter answered as he finally retracted his gaze. However, he was still feeling bothered. “I’m going to the washroom.”

The man got up and buttoned his suit before casting a stern look at Luna and warning her, “Don’t stir up any trouble!”

He stalked off after saying that.

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“Am I his wife, or is she?” Luna’s face turned ashen with anger.

“Stay calm,” Amanda held her daughter’s hand, comforting her.

Meanwhile, Charlotte could not sit still as she was worried that Amanda and Luna would be creating trouble for her again.

At that moment, Zachary gave her hand a light squeeze. It was a subtle action, but it strangely had a calming effect on her.

She turned to look at the man. He was focusing on the stage and did not have any kind of expression on his face, but the warmth of his hand set her heart at ease.

She could feel something tugging at her heartstrings; it was a funny feeling…

Dinner was served a while later. That night’s charity auction had a special arrangement where guests could dine and participate in the auction at the same time.

Guests were seated as family units – each table only had guests from the same family.

Charlotte subconsciously licked her lips when a French dish was served to her table. The small piece of cake she had eaten in the car previously had not been enough to make her feel full.

Zachary took over the cup of red wine from the waiter and raised his glass towards her.

She raised a toast to him as well and took a sip of the wine while saying casually, “It’s really generous of you to serve such fine wine to your guests!”

“Huh?” he cocked his brow and asked, “You know what wine this is?”

“How could I not know?” She continued cutting her steak and without looking up, she said, “Aubleener Blanc from S Winery in Arkfield. There’re only 78 barrels in the whole world. Don’t you think it’s a waste to serve such exquisite wine at a function like this?”

“I didn’t know you were familiar with wine,” he replied as his lips curled up. “I’ve actually acquired the entire batch of Aubleener Blanc. By right, no one would have tasted it. How did you know?”

“I visited S Winery with my dad eight years ago and tasted it in the wine cellar. My dad was intending to buy a few barrels of it, but it was a pity that someone snatched all of it before we could buy any. I never expected the person to be you.”

Charlotte was feeling slightly emotional as she recalled the past. When her dad was still alive, he had brought her along on his travels around the world and taught her a lot…

“It’s impressive that you remembered it after tasting it just once.” Zachary looked at her and asked, “What else do you know apart from red wine?”

“Jewelry, oil paintings, piano, fashion design… “ Charlotte listed while counting on her fingers. “I know a bit of all those. I usually go with the flow when it comes to learning new things.”

“Such things are usually picked up by heiresses to impress others,” Zachary commented with a slight scoff. “It would be useful if there’s in-depth learning of a particular subject matter since that could be applied at work, but if it’s superficial knowledge, it’s pretty useless!”

“Hehe, you’re right about that,” Charlotte laughed. “That was what I told my dad, but he said that he only wanted me to be happy. I could marry a capable man and let him run the family business… “

Perhaps it was because of the wine, but she thought about her dad a lot that night…

“You seem to have a really good relationship with your dad,” Zachary looked at her and commented, feeling slightly envious at the same time. “Now I know why you’re always so silly. It’s because your dad was always pampering you!”

“Well, you sure have hit the nail on the head!” Charlotte smiled embarrassingly. “I’ve always been pampered by my dad, so I’ve never experienced the vicissitudes of life. Never would I have expected the greatest tribulation of my life to be… “

Her expression darkened as she spoke. If she had been slightly smarter four years ago and was not easily influenced by Luna, she would not have made such a grave mistake…

If she had shown more concern for her dad and understood the situation of the company, she might have been able to prevent that tragedy from happening…

“The business arena is just like a battlefield – it can be very unpredictable.”

The man had heard a little about her family matters and knew that she was likely referring to her dad’s bankruptcy and suicide four years ago, which resulted in her losing everything she had.

“Until now, I’m still not able to figure out why my dad’s company had suddenly run into problems. Everything was going well…” Charlotte could not wrap her head around it. “Besides, my dad was a strong and positive person. Even if the company had problems, it’s not like him to choose death as the way out. I had a feeling things were not as simple as it seemed to be… “

“What’s the name of your dad’s company?” Zachary asked while swirling his wine glass.

“Windt Real Estate Corporation. In short, Windt Corporation,” she answered.

Zachary suddenly froze when he heard that name. An unfathomable glint flashed in his eyes. However, he recovered very quickly and looked down at his glass, continuing to taste his wine gracefully…

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 84

Just as Charlotte wanted to share more about Windt Corporation, she suddenly received a text on her phone. Hector here. I’ll be waiting for you at the parlor!

When she saw the message, her heart skipped a beat.

How did Hector get my number? He even messaged me… Could someone who’s pretending to be Hector trying to lure me over?

Charlotte turned around and looked at where the Sterlings were seated at. Simon, Amanda, and Luna were dining at the table, but Hector wasn’t there.

The number from which the text had been sent was indeed Hector’s. He was still using the same number from before, so Charlotte was rather certain that it was really him who had texted her.

However, she did not wish to be involved with him again.

As such, she replied: You can text me if there’s anything you want to say. It’s not appropriate for us to meet in private.

A reply came shortly after: I need to talk to you face to face. I only need five minutes of your time. Take the exit on your right – you’ll be able to see me there. I won’t leave until you come!

Charlotte felt conflicted when she saw that message. It reminded her of an argument she had with Hector years back. He had said the same thing – that he would wait for her outside her house and would not leave until he saw her.

Back then, she had refused to see him out of spite. It had poured heavily at night. She had assumed that he would have left, but he had waited in the rain the entire night. Because of that, he ran a high fever the next day which developed into pneumonia. He was even hospitalized for one whole month.

Charlotte felt uneasy as those memories surfaced in her mind. She put down her utensils and said to Zachary, “I need to go to the restroom.”

“Sure,” the man replied, darting a glance at the woman’s phone. A frosty glint flashed in his eyes, and an indecipherable expression appeared on his face simultaneously.

Raina helped Charlotte out of her seat.

After exiting from the right side of the hall, the latter saw Hector immediately. He was smoking at the end of the corridor and his lonely figure seemed desolate.

Noticing that Raina was with Charlotte, Hector looked down and walked into the restroom next to him.

“You can wait for me here,” Charlotte said to Raina.

“Sure,” the woman replied and stood outside the restroom.

Charlotte entered the ladies’ and was about to text Hector when she saw a white figure flash past in the mirror. One second later, someone hugged her tightly from the back…

“Ah!” Charlotte jumped and let out a shriek before trying desperately to struggle out of Hector’s embrace. “Let go!”

“Don’t worry. I’ve checked and ensured that there’s no one else around,” the man said in a whisper and tried to hug the woman again.

However, she retreated a few steps instinctively and crossed her arms in front of her chest in a defensive stance. “Mr. Sterling, please have some self-respect!”

“Charlotte, why are you so guarded against me?” He was feeling pained. “Could it be that you’ve really gotten together with Zachary Nacht?”

“That’s none of your business,” she replied with a frown. “Please remember that you are a married man now.”

“I regret it so much… “ The man downcast his eyes, feeling frustrated. “What happened back then was a mistake. It’s my fault for not protecting you well. Please give me another chance. Let’s start anew.”

“Do you even know what you’re saying?” She widened her eyes in shock as she could hardly believe the words that had just come out of Hector’s mouth…

Even though what happened back then had indeed been a mistake, no matter what, it was a fact that he had already become someone else’s husband and should be acting appropriately.

In fact, Charlotte was extremely disappointed with Hector’s behavior.

“Charlotte… “

“Mr. Sterling,” she interrupted the man before carrying on in a stern voice, “Did you call me out just to say all these?”

“Why are you so cold towards me?” He was unable to accept the way she was treating him.

“I don’t want to be associated with a married man.” The crease between her brows deepened, and she said, “I shall get going if there’s nothing else.”

The woman then turned and walked away after finishing her sentence…

“You will definitely regret it if you get together with Zachary Nacht!” Hector suddenly exclaimed.

Charlotte stopped in her tracks and turned around. “Why do you say so?”

“Because… “ Just when Hector was about to explain, a woman’s voice sounded outside. “Why can’t we go inside? I’m looking for my husband.”

It was Luna.

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“This is the ladies’. Why would your husband be in there?” Raina replied politely.

“Since it’s the ladies’ room, why am I not allowed to enter?” Luna threw the question back to Raina.

“Ms. Windt is injured and should not be disturbed. You can go in once she comes out.”

Raina did not want to let Amanda and Luna in for fear that they would pick on Charlotte, so she blocked them from entering the washroom.

“Luna, let’s head back first. We shouldn’t be kicking up a fuss at an event like this… “

Amanda tried to persuade her daughter to let it slide, but her words fell on deaf ears. Once Luna knew that Charlotte was inside the toilet as well, she grew even more agitated…

“I knew it! That slut Charlotte is trying to seduce my darling again.” Luna tried to barge in as she yelled, “Get out of my way!”

“Please respect yourself!” Raina shot a sharp and cold glance at the hysteric woman.

“A servant like you does not have any right to speak to me,” Luna said in an arrogant tone as she extended her hand, intending to push Raina away.

However, Raina caught her hand swiftly and pushed her away instead.

The woman staggered and almost fell onto the ground.

Luckily, Amanda held on to Luna in time, preventing her from falling.

But the latter ended up spraining her ankle, and her face went pale. Furious, she yelled, “You b*tch! How dare you push me? Do you know who my husband is?”

“Why would I care who your husband is? If you carry on raising a ruckus here, don’t blame me for being harsh,” Raina bellowed.

“Who exactly are you? What an arrogant b*tch!”

Amanda could not help but feel agitated as well upon seeing how her daughter was injured. She dashed forward, about to strike Raina.

The latter narrowed her eyes dangerously as she prepared herself to make a move to defend herself…

“Stop it!” someone yelled.

Amanda and Luna stopped their actions abruptly. Just then, Hector walked out of the gents and frowned at his wife. “What trouble are you stirring again?”

“Hector, are you having a rendezvous with Charlotte… “

“Let’s not talk about such matter first,” Amanda interrupted her and pointed at Raina. “Hector, this woman tried to hit Luna just now!”

Hector turned to look at Raina but did not chide her for anything. Instead, he bowed and apologized, “I’m so sorry, Dr. Langhan. My wife was being rude.”

Amanda and Luna were shocked by Hector’s gesture as they did not expect the man to respond in such a manner.

“There’s no need for such things, Mr. Sterling.” Raina smiled politely and replied, “It’s best not to create any unwanted attention at the auction venue. It wouldn’t be pleasant if Mr. Nacht gets upset by it.”

“Of course.”

“Hector, why are you… “

“Keep quiet,” The man cut Luna off and lowered his voice as he reprimanded her, “Why did you pick a fight with her when you know that she’s working for Mr. Nacht?”

“She’s just a servant… “ Luna felt immensely insulted and was so upset that she burst out in tears. “Am I worse than a servant of Mr. Nacht?”

“You are.”

An arrogant voice suddenly sounded, and the atmosphere turned so chilling that it felt as if the temperature had dropped a few degrees.

When Luna looked up and saw Zachary, she felt instantly threatened by his commanding aura. Feeling flustered, she curled up into her mother’s arms and held her breath.

Amanda was also feeling very nervous as she hugged her daughter while retreating behind Hector.

“Mr. Nacht,” Raina bowed, greeting Zachary respectfully.

The man beckoned her to look behind by pointing with his chin.

Raina turned around and realized that Charlotte had already come out from the ladies’ and was witnessing the scene by the door.

The doctor quickly stepped towards the woman and supported her.

“I’m so sorry that my wife has disturbed you, Mr. Nacht. When we go back, I’ll definitely teach her… some proper manners.”

When Hector was in the midst of apologizing, Raina and Charlotte approached Zachary’s side.

Hector paused for a moment while he looked at Charlotte with a mixture of emotions stirring in his eyes, but very quickly, he diverted his gaze.

“Mr. Nacht, it was a misunderstanding just now. We all had a misunderstanding,” Reading the situation well, Amanda immediately clarified with a smile, “We didn’t know that this… “ She pointed at Raina before continuing, “lady works for you.”

The next instant, Amanda lowered her head towards Raina and apologized. “Dr. Langhan, we’re so sorry. We offended you without knowing who you are. Please accept my sincere apologies!”

“Mom… “ Luna was trembling with rage.

Seeing Amanda lower herself to apologize in such a situation, Charlotte couldn’t help but applaud the woman silently in her heart. This woman sure knows when to give in. With this quality, it wouldn’t be a surprise if she manages to achieve great things!

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“You guys should be apologizing to Ms. Windt instead,” Raina stated coldly.

Amanda’s expression turned grim when she heard that; she was extremely reluctant to apologize to Charlotte.

However, after noticing Hector’s silence and Zachary’s domineering aura that reminded her of Hades, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and apologize. “Charlotte, I’m sorry for… “

“Mom, don’t apologize to her,” Luna quickly interrupted her while pointing at Charlotte. She then said in an agitated manner, “Mr. Nacht, there’s something you might not be aware of. Don’t be deceived by this woman’s innocent looks. She’s in fact a slut who drove her dad to his grave after hooking up with a gigolo at a nightclub four years ago. She even gave birth to that gigolo’s… “

Charlotte was startled and was about to stop her…

“Shut up!” Hector growled anxiously.

At the same time, a hard slap landed on Luna’s face. It wasn’t Hector who had hit her, but Amanda instead.

With one hand covering the side of her face that was hit, the woman looked at her mom incredulously. “Mom, you… why did you slap me?”

Hector was shocked by Amanda’s actions as well. He knew she had all along been extremely protective of Luna and pampered her with no boundaries. Why would she slap her?

Charlotte sneered when she saw that, realizing that she had really underestimated Amanda…

What a smart woman! She knows how to read a situation accurately and act accordingly without reservations!

“Behave yourself in front of Mr. Nacht!” Amanda chided Luna and turned towards Zachary while bowing deeply to him. “Mr. Nacht, we’re really so sorry for spoiling your good spirits today. Please don’t take it to heart and forgive us for our wrongdoings!”

Without sparing her a glance, Zachary held Charlotte’s hand and turned to leave…

Hector had a complicated and indescribable gaze in his eyes as he looked at Zachary and Charlotte walking away hand in hand.

He swiftly collected his thoughts and frowned at Amanda, saying, “Mom, I’ll get Owen to send the two of you back.”

“That won’t do. The auction just started. How can we leave now?” Amanda smiled and said, “Why don’t you go in first? I’ll talk to Luna and comfort her first. We won’t take long.”

“Sure.” Not wanting to waste his time and his breath of them, Hector left hurriedly.

“Hector… “ Luna wanted to grab her husband’s arms, but her mother held her back. “Stop your tantrums and listen to me.”

“Mom, why? Just why?” Luna was furious and trembling all over. “Why are you behaving like that?”

“Silly girl… “ Amanda hugged her daughter affectionately, feeling bad for the slap a while back. “Mom did such a thing for you. Think about it. What do you think the consequences would be if you had exposed Charlotte in front of so many people?”

“What consequences would there be?” Luna was unable to understand as she carried on, “Charlotte is hiding the fact that she’s already a mom from Mr. Nacht. After we tell him about it, he will teach her a good lesson and chase her away. I’m sure he will not want to have any further associations with her after that. He’ll be thanking us for it. What other consequences could there possibly be?”

“Why are you so dumb… “ Amanda could not help but feel extremely disappointed with her daughter. “All men value their pride, especially a distinguished man like Zachary Nacht! If you expose Charlotte in front of so many of us, it’s as good as telling everyone that Zachary Nacht is a bad judge of character, which is a clear slap to his face!”

After hearing her mom’s explanation, Luna fell into a daze. Well, that seems to make some sense…

“By then, Charlotte would not be the only one who’s in trouble. The both of us; even the Sterlings and the Whites might be implicated,” Amanda elaborated urgently.

“I’ve heard a long time back that Zachary Nacht is like Hades in the business arena. As long as he’s determined to crush a company, no company would be able to survive the next day! Besides, he’s known for his ruthlessness and unforgiving ways. So, remember to never get onto his bad side.”

“Fine, I know… “ Her daughter pursed her lips and felt indignant. “Even if that’s the case, you didn’t have to slap me. You could have just told me to keep quiet.”

“If I didn’t do that, Hector would have done that himself.” Amanda frowned and continued, “A slap from him would be way more painful than what you received from me.”

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Amanda’s words upset Luna even more, and the woman started crying while burying her face in her hands. “Hector doesn’t love me at all. he only has eyes for Charlotte. He does not have any real feelings for me… “

“Alright, hush, hush, stop crying… “ Amanda embraced her daughter with her heart aching. “Silly girl, I will definitely stand up for you when the opportunity arises. Let’s go to the lounge to check if you’re hurt.”

Meanwhile, the auction was about to begin. Loud music was being blasted in the venue.

“I feel like heading home,” Charlotte told Zachary. However, the latter did not hear her.

So, she leaned in closer to his ear and repeated herself, “Mr. Nacht, I feel like heading back first.”

“It’s still early,” Zachary put his arms around the woman’s slender waist and pulled her into his arms. He brushed his cold and thin lips against her cheeks and whispered into her ears, “Was it fun to hook up with a gigolo? Huh?”

“Pfft!” Charlotte was speechless and flustered by his question. She panicked even more when she met his wicked gaze and tried to explain, “Actually, what happened back then was… “

“That wasn’t the first time someone told me about such a matter,” Zachary said in a seductive whisper as he bit her earlobes playfully. “It seems like you’re famous for hooking up with gigolos.”

A numbing tingle ran across Charlotte’s body; she felt as if she was being electrocuted.

She shuddered. Her heart was thumping so fast that she thought it was going to explode out of her chest. She hurriedly distanced herself from him as she shifted a little to the side.

Zachary couldn’t help but smile faintly upon seeing how flustered the woman was.

A woman’s sensitivity represented either her passion or purity. No matter which one it was, he was equally happy!

Hector was observing their interactions from a distance. He could feel his heart tightening, and his tightly clenched fists were trembling…

At that moment, he had an impulse to charge over and snatch Charlotte away.

“Hector, where’s Luna and your mom?” Simon asked, interrupting the man’s thoughts.

“They’re resting at the lounge,” Hector replied with a frown.

“What happened just now? You don’t look too good,” the man probed further.

“Can you ask them yourself and stop bothering me?”

Simon was taken aback by that reply. Over the years, Hector had always gentlemanly, polite, and well-mannered. He had never shown his temper, and even if there were problems, he would communicate his thoughts rationally. What’s wrong with him today? Simon wondered.

“I’m so sorry… “ Hector apologized as he realized that he had lost his composure. “Dad, I’m sorry for letting my emotions get the better of me.”

“No worries, it’s fine.” Simon smiled. “I know how tormenting it can be handling those two women. Even I’m not able to stand them sometimes. Don’t be angry, yeah? I’ll go look for them to make sure they don’t stir up any trouble again.”

“Alright.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, I shall now officially announce the beginning of bidding for tonight’s charity auction.”

With the emcee’s announcement, a platform was elevated from the center of the stage.

A ruby necklace, which was placed on the crystal table, dazzled under the bright spotlight.

“Mom, I want that.” Luna saw the necklace the moment she returned to the banquet hall and immediately took a liking to it.

“Don’t be in a hurry,” Amanda said softly. “Seven jewelry items that will be auctioned tonight. Every single one of them is a prized treasure of F Nation’s royalty and extremely expensive. Besides, given the rarity of these items, their closing bids would definitely be at exorbitant prices… “

“So what if they are exorbitantly priced? It’s not as if my darling is not able to afford it.”

Luna limped towards the Sterlings’ table with her sprained ankle and deliberately extended her foot in front of Hector. She began to choke on her words as she complained, “You don’t even care about me even though I’m injured. Even Timothy would know how to show concern for his mom.”

At that remark, Hector frowned. Even though he really wanted to ignore Luna, his heart softened after she brought up their son. So, he said, “Which do you want? I’ll buy it for you.”

“I want that ruby necklace.” Luna pointed at the stage.

“The starting bid would be ten million, and each bid increment needs to be at least a million,” the emcee announced.

“Do you like that?” Zachary leaned towards Charlotte’s ear and asked.

“It’s not bad.”

That ruby necklace reminded the woman of her father.

She had been penniless after her dad passed away, and as a last resort, she had sold the sapphire necklace her dad had given. It looked somewhat similar to the ruby necklace.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 88

“Ten million, Mr. Sterling placed his bid for ten million… “ The emcee announced.

“Eleven million, Mr. Cole has placed a bid for eleven million.”

“Thirteen million, Mr. Ziegler has placed a bid for thirteen million… “

Charlotte turned around and looked at the guests. The bidding situation was intense; all the businessmen present were actively placing their bids.

Even though there was a distance between her and the gemstones, Charlotte could tell that they were highly valuable…

“Do these belong to F Nation’s royalty?”

Even though she was not an expert, she could still recognize the authenticity of those gems.

“How were you able to tell?” Zachary asked.

“From the magnified images on the screen, we can see that the platinum engravings on the sides of the gemstones are symbolic of F Nation’s royalty… “ She examined in detail as she elaborated, “Judging by the handiwork, it should be crafted by a craftsman from F Nation’s royalty during ancient times. As such, I’m quite sure that these jewelry are prized treasures of F Nation’s royalty.”

“Well, it seems like you’re not that ignorant after all,” the man praised the woman with a look of admiration in his eyes.

“I know a little about it mainly because this necklace looks very much like the one I had sold off,” Charlotte sighed. “It feels like they are from the same collection. It’s just that mine is a sapphire necklace instead of a ruby necklace… “

“Are you talking about the ‘Heart of the Ocean’?” Zachary looked slightly startled.

“Yes, it was called the Heart of the Ocean,” Charlotte nodded. “You’ve heard of it?”

“How did you have that necklace?”

“My dad gave it to me. He might have gotten it from an overseas auction,” she replied casually. “I sold it for one million and two hundred thousand four years back when I was down and out because I ran out of options!”

Zachary was speechless when he heard that.

“What’s wrong?” Charlotte pressed on.

Ignoring her, Zachary signaled to Ben, who was seated next to him. Immediately after, the latter raised his bidding paddle and shouted, “Thirty million!”

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the hall grew tense. When the rest of the guests saw that Zachary was also interested in the item, they did not dare raise the bid any further.

“You’re the host. Is it appropriate for you to do this?” Charlotte leaned in closer to Zachary’s ear and asked, “Who else would dare to up the bid after you raised your paddle?”

He rolled his eyes at her and made a hand gesture.

The emcee said cheerfully, “Everyone, there’s no need to be so tensed up. Mr. Nacht is just joining in the fun. Please feel free to raise the bid if you really like the item. No matter what the outcome of tonight’s auction is, it will definitely not affect your business relations.”

Even though the emcee had given his reassurance, no one dared to make any further move.

That was until the Sterlings’ bidding paddle was raised…

“Thirty-one million!” Luna announced her bid personally.

“What are you doing?” Amanda immediately pulled her daughter towards her seat. “Are you crazy?”

“They’ve already said that the auction would not affect business… “ the woman pouted and continued, “I really like that necklace. It matches my black evening dress very well.”

“But… “

“Mom,” Hector interrupted Amanda and said softly, “Since Luna likes it, let her bid for it.”

“Huh?” The latter could hardly believe her ears. That was one of the rare occasions where Hector had shown any support for Luna.

“I knew it! My darling is the best!” Luna beamed and gave her husband a peck on his cheeks.

Simon frowned. He was very well aware that Hector was doing that for the sake of his dignity and pride as a man.

Charlotte turned around instinctively after hearing the Sterlings’ bid and met Hector’s unfathomable gaze.

A surge of emotions rose within Hector as he looked at her. He would be willing to spend thirty-one million just for her to take one glance at him…

“What’s that b*tch looking at?” Luna stared at Charlotte.

The latter retracted her gaze and just when she was about to tell Zachary to stop bidding, Ben suddenly raised his paddle and exclaimed, “One hundred million!”

“Wow… “ Everyone gasped in shock.

The rest of the guests were all stunned. Such a declaration was expected of Zachary Nacht indeed. Once the man had his mind set on something, other people would not stand a chance.

As such, even if Hector had a hundred million, he did not dare to up the bid any further.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 89

“Is he crazy? One hundred million for one necklace?” Amanda was dumbstruck.

“What’s the big deal about one hundred million? My darling can afford that as well,” Luna scoffed as she raised her bidding paddle again.

“Put it down… “ Simon swiftly pulled her hand down and said, “Are you trying to ruin Hector?”

“Dad, what are you doing… “

“Listen to your dad. Don’t do anything stupid,” Amanda reprimanded.

Even though Luna was outraged, she had no choice but to accept her fate.

“One hundred million going once, one hundred million going twice… “

“Are you mad? You’re paying one hundred million for one necklace?” Charlotte lowered her voice, hardly able to calm down. “Don’t you find it a waste of money?”

“Money is just a number.” The man remained unmoved.

“But… “

“And the ruby necklace is sold at one hundred million!” The emcee banged the lectern to end the bidding.

A concierge dressed in an evening gown delivered the ruby necklace cautiously from the stage to Zachary.

The man took over the necklace and handed it to Charlotte at once. “This is for you!”

She was shocked. He purchased the ruby necklace at one hundred million, and he’s giving it to me?

Is he sure about this?

There was an uproar among the guests. Most of them were engaged in hushed discussions with their families, trying to figure out Charlotte’s identity. They were wondering which rich or influential family the woman was from to be chosen by Zachary.

Most of the guests present did not know who she was, except for three of them.

Those three people did not dare to make a sound while they turned to look at Amanda, who shot them a look, beckoning them to expose Charlotte’s real identity.

Two of the three guests were hesitant to do that. The other woman was Mary, the wife of Thomas, a distant relative of the Windt family.

Previously, Thomas had tried to lecture Charlotte at the Whites’ residences but had been retaliated by the woman. Thomas and Mary still had not gotten over it yet.

When Thomas saw Charlotte entering the auction hall earlier that night, he cursed a little under his breath before finding an excuse to smoke backstage.

As such, Mary was left alone in her seat. Initially, she was not keen to stir up any trouble, but Amanda rang her cell and kept repeating what had happened at the Whites’ residences that day. All the while emphasizing how Charlotte had disrespected them.

In addition, Amanda had also said, “Mr. Nacht is still kept in the dark. He’s completely oblivious to the kind of woman Charlotte is. I’m sure Mr. Nacht will be very appreciative of whoever exposes her now… “

With that thought in mind, Mary stood up and started walking towards the front row…

Amanda knew that her ploy had succeeded when she saw the woman approaching Zachary. The corners of her lips curled up into a smug sneer.

“Mom, what’s Mary doing?” Luna tugged at Amanda’s sleeves and asked, “Is she intending to… “

“Shh!” Amanda immediately covered her daughter’s mouth with her hands to stop her from talking. She gritted her teeth and growled, “Shut your mouth!”

“Mm, Mm!” Luna nodded continuously, unable to hide the excitement in her eyes.

“What are you two plotting again?” A crease appeared between Simon’s brows.

Hector had also noticed the mother-daughter pair behaving strangely but chose not to ask anything. He just wanted to look at Charlotte quietly.

The woman was currently at the center of everyone’s attention, looking just like a shining star.

It was the dream of countless heiresses to win the favor of Zachary, to marry into the Nacht family and be his woman!

No doubt, that was the greatest accomplishment of Charlotte’s life…

Media was usually not invited to any of Zachary’s functions – there was usually a rule to ban the distribution of any photos taken. If that were not the case, that night’s event would have definitely been the hottest topic in town.

Charlotte’s mind was in a state of chaos as she stared at the ruby necklace that was worth one hundred million.

She kept crossing and uncrossing her arms in front of her chest, and her breathing became quick and uneasy, accompanied by an increase in her heart rate…

“Do you want it or not?” Zachary frowned, looking impatient. “I’m going to throw it away if you’re not taking it!”

As the man spoke, he pretended as though he was about to toss the ruby necklace away…

“I want it! I want it!”

She snatched the necklace from him anxiously, and due to her state of panic, she lost her balance and fell into his arms.

He smiled and whispered into her ears in an intimate manner, “I like that you’re behaving so enthusiastically.”

“I… I didn’t fall on purpose… “

She turned red from her cheeks to the tip of her ears as she spoke, but her voice was drowned out by the round of applause which erupted from the guests.

Mistaking a Magnate for a Male Escort Chapter 90

“I have something to tell Mr. Nacht. Let me go over!” A voice suddenly sounded, disrupting their romantic moment.

Charlotte looked up from Zachary’s arms and saw a familiar face.

Isn’t she Thomas’ wife, Mary?

Her heart did a double somersault as she anxiety rose within her instantly. Thomas and Mary were rather ignorant and easily influenced. As such, she could easily guess that Amanda must have instigated the woman to come over and expose her…

“You need to make an appointment with Mr. Nacht’s secretary to speak to him.” The bodyguard stopped Mary expressionlessly and stated, “Please leave now.”

“I’m not here to discuss business matters with Mr. Nacht. I’m here to tell him a secret… “ Mary panicked and started yelling over the heads of the guests, “Mr. Nacht, Mr. Nacht! You have been deceived. This woman, Charlotte Windt, is not as innocent as she seems. She has a tainted reputation and… “

“Take her away,” Zachary commanded coldly.

“Understood.” The bodyguard covered Mary’s mouth immediately and dragged her away.

The woman whimpered as she struggled to speak but was knocked unconscious by the bodyguard before being dragged away like a dead dog.

It was pin-drop silence in the auction hall after that.

The rest of the guests were all terrified – no one dared to make a sound.

After Thomas heard the commotion, he hurried back to join the crowd and was shocked when he saw what had happened.

Just when he was about to inquire about the situation, Simon held him back forcefully and said, “You shouldn’t associate yourself with the situation right now. Otherwise, the company might be implicated.”

“But, my wife… “

“Nothing will happen to her,” Simon reassured. “When you pick her up later, say that you didn’t know anything about what she was planning and scold your wife. They will at most give you a verbal warning and won’t make things any harder for you.”

“Alright then… “ Thomas answered while pulling a long face. “But what on Earth happened? How did my wife offend Mr. Nacht?”

“Maybe she couldn’t stand that btch Charlotte and wanted to stand up for you.” Amanda pretended to be fuming over the situation as she continued, “Oh dear, now that Charlotte has such a strong backing, we can’t afford to offend her anymore. It’s so unfortunate that your wife has to suffer because of that btch!”

“Keep your comments to yourself,” Simon growled.

Amanda glared at her husband while fanning herself with her handkerchief. Sighing continuously, she headed back to her seat…

“Mom, how did it go? Did Mary manage to tell him?” Luna asked immediately.

“She was dragged away before she got to say anything.” Amanda put a hand to her chest. Just thinking about what happened sent a shiver down her spine. “It seems like that b*tch, Charlotte, is very important to Mr. Nacht. Looks like we’ve underestimated her. Luckily, we didn’t do that ourselves. Otherwise, we would be the ones suffering right now.”

“She got lucky to be favored by Mr. Nacht. Let’s see how long she can last.” Luna was boiling with anger. “He’ll get sick of her sooner or later!”

“Stop talking about it for now. We should head home first. Judging by the situation tonight, I have got a feeling that something else might happen… “

Just when Amanda and Luna were about to leave, the emcee suddenly announced that they would be continuing with the second round of auction.

The second item was a pink diamond ring. Even though it was only a twelve-carat diamond, natural pink diamonds were extremely rare. In addition, the diamond had been embedded flawlessly into the ring.

Besides, there was a special significance behind that pink diamond ring. It had a history of 99 years and had three previous owners altogether. Each owner had experienced a beautiful love story.

As such, that ring signified perfect love and was named “Beloved!”

“I want it.” Luna could not take her eyes off that pink diamond ring. At once, she tugged at Hector’s arm, requesting in a coquettish manner, “Hector, buy that for me please.”

“You can call for the bid yourself.” The man had lost interest in the auction and was intending to leave. “Owen will be staying and making payment later. I just need you to keep one thing in mind. No matter what you do, don’t offend Mr. Nacht!”

“Yes, yes, I understand.” Luna nodded eagerly and added, “Don’t worry.”

After Hector gave some orders to his subordinate, he stood up and left.

“Luna, listen to mom. Don’t buy that.” Amanda tried to cajole her daughter into leaving as well. “So much has happened tonight. We should play it safe and leave before anything else bad happens… “