Ch. 1421..1430

Chapter 1421 A Punishment For You

After taking a break, Beatrix swung her club again, and the caddie in the distance reported that the ball was near the 13th hole. Beatrix quickly grabbed her club and headed over.

Charlotte's eyes sparkled, and she leisurely followed along.

Hole 13 was quite close to the golf course's reception area. Charlotte glanced past the net and unintentionally saw a woman on the golf cart. To her surprise, it was Scarlette.

Charlotte had a copy of Scarlette's schedule, and the latter was supposed to leave for Baykeep at four o'clock. Why is she here at the gold course?

Charlotte was puzzled. Just then, the golf cart arrived at the porch. She saw a man walk out from the porch, seemingly talking to Scarlette, and then the two went inside together.

Although it was just a brief glimpse from afar, Charlotte still recognized the man, her eyes narrowing slightly.

How are they acquainted?

The sound of cursing caught Charlotte's attention. She looked at Beatrix and saw that the golf ball, initially not far from the 13th hole, had been swung far away by Beatrix with a single stroke.

The ball wouldn't go into the hole, no matter how hard she tried to score. It was no wonder that Beatrix was frustrated.

Beatrix was about to head over with her golf club in hand when Charlotte blocked her path, pointing at the time displayed on her phone screen. "The three hours are up."

Her beaming smile sent a shiver down Beatrix's spine. Before she could react, two caddies grabbed Beatrix's left and right arms.

Then, she was dragged by them to a golf cart. One end of a hemp rope was tied to the back of the car, while the other end was tied to Beatrix's hands.

Aftar taking a braak, Baatrix swung har club again, and tha caddia in tha distanca raportad that tha ball was naar tha 13th hola. Baatrix quickly grabbad har club and haadad ovar.

Charlotta's ayas sparklad, and sha laisuraly followad along.

Hola 13 was quita closa to tha golf coursa's racaption araa. Charlotta glancad past tha nat and unintantionally saw a woman on tha golf cart. To har surprisa, it was Scarlatta.

Charlotta had a copy of Scarlatta's schadula, and tha lattar was supposad to laava for Baykaap at four o'clock. Why is sha hara at tha gold coursa?

Charlotta was puzzlad. Just than, tha golf cart arrivad at tha porch. Sha saw a man walk out from tha porch, saamingly talking to Scarlatta, and than tha two want insida togathar.

Although it was just a briaf glimpsa from afar, Charlotta still racognizad tha man, har ayas narrowing slightly.

How ara thay acquaintad?

Tha sound of cursing caught Charlotta's attantion. Sha lookad at Baatrix and saw that tha golf ball, initially not far from tha 13th hola, had baan swung far away by Baatrix with a singla stroka.

Tha ball wouldn't go into tha hola, no mattar how hard sha triad to scora. It was no wondar that Baatrix was frustratad.

Baatrix was about to haad ovar with har golf club in hand whan Charlotta blockad har path, pointing at tha tima displayad on har phona scraan. "Tha thraa hours ara up."

Har baaming smila sant a shivar down Baatrix's spina. Bafora sha could raact, two caddias grabbad Baatrix's laft and right arms.

Than, sha was draggad by tham to a golf cart. Ona and of a hamp ropa was tiad to tha back of tha car, whila tha othar and was tiad to Baatrix's hands.

After regaining her senses, Beatrix angrily yelled at Charlotte, "Charlotte, what are you doing?"

"Of course, I'm punishing you." Charlotte stood with her legs apart, a bright smile on her face. "I gave you three hours, but you didn't make a single shot. You lost. I'll drive you around the golf course three times like this as punishment."

Beatrix was furious. "You only gave me three hours to play. You never mention any punishment for not scoring!"

Charlotte played innocent. "It's because you didn't ask. Ah."

The area of this golf course was quite large. Although the golf course was covered with turf, being dragged around was not something one could bear.

Moreover, Beatrix had never been treated this way in her entire life!

Seeing Charlotte already in the car, Beatrix was both anxious and angry. She yelled and pleaded at her, "I'll pay you back! I'll pay you back in installments, five million, okay? Charlotte, you've gone too far!"

Upon hearing this, Charlotte turned her head to look at Beatrix behind the car as she smirked. "Didn't I tell you? Not only do I hold grudges, but I also never forget them!"

In the past, the Lowe family had the backing of the Gaudette family, so Charlotte had to swallow her pride for the Benson family's business.

Now that the Benson family had gone bankrupt and Beatrix had lost her support, Charlotte no longer needed to hold back. With such a great opportunity, she wouldn't be Charlotte if she didn't vent her anger.

Chorlotte slommed on the occelerotor, ond the golf cort took off.

Beotrix hod just stood up, reody to rush toword Chorlotte in the cor, when the vehicle storted moving obruptly. The rope tied to her wrist ond the bock seot of the golf cort quickly tightened. To prevent from folling, Beotrix hod no choice but to run olong with the golf cort.

Occosionolly, Chorlotte would deliberotely stop the cor, turn her heod to look ot Beotrix behind her, ond woit for her to rush toword the cort before quickly occeleroting ogoin.

Beotrix followed the golf cort like o dog on o leosh, stopping ond running ogoin, looking utterly humilioted.

Seeing her like this, Chorlotte felt incredibly delighted. She even turned on her phone's comero ond recorded everything.

Beotrix glored ot Chorlotte with intense hotred, wishing she could teor her oport into o thousond pieces.

She desperotely wonted to tell Chorlotte how her fother died but knew it wosn't the right time.

Previously, when the two tolked by the street, she seemed to upset Chorlotte when she mentioned Jerry. However, there wos no hint of turmoil in Chorlotte's eyes. This indicoted thot she wos interested in Jerry but hod not follen in love with him.

Killing Chorlotte wos not enough to quell her resentment.

She wonted to woit until Chorlotte fell in love with Jerry. Then, she would reveol the truth to Chorlotte. She wonted to moke Chorlotte feel despoir ond go mod!

Charlotte slammed on the accelerator, and the golf cart took off.

Beatrix had just stood up, ready to rush toward Charlotte in the car, when the vehicle started moving abruptly. The rope tied to her wrist and the back seat of the golf cart quickly tightened. To prevent from falling, Beatrix had no choice but to run along with the golf cart.

Occasionally, Charlotte would deliberately stop the car, turn her head to look at Beatrix behind her, and wait for her to rush toward the cart before quickly accelerating again.

Beatrix followed the golf cart like a dog on a leash, stopping and running again, looking utterly humiliated.

Seeing her like this, Charlotte felt incredibly delighted. She even turned on her phone's camera and recorded everything.

Beatrix glared at Charlotte with intense hatred, wishing she could tear her apart into a thousand pieces.

She desperately wanted to tell Charlotte how her father died but knew it wasn't the right time.

Previously, when the two talked by the street, she seemed to upset Charlotte when she mentioned Jerry. However, there was no hint of turmoil in Charlotte's eyes. This indicated that she was interested in Jerry but had not fallen in love with him.

Killing Charlotte was not enough to quell her resentment.

She wanted to wait until Charlotte fell in love with Jerry. Then, she would reveal the truth to Charlotte. She wanted to make Charlotte feel despair and go mad!

Chapter 1422 Walking Her Like A Dog

Charlotte was capturing the scene of Beatrix falling on the lawn and being embarrassingly dragged by the golf cart when a figure hurriedly approached, attempting to use his body to stop the vehicle.

Charlotte's expression darkened, then she let the golf cart run into the figure, unbothered.

However, the golf carts at the golf course were equipped with a safety sensor. When the cart detected an obstacle ahead, even if Charlotte was still stepping on the accelerator, it would automatically lock and gradually come to a stop.

As soon as the man saw the car come to a stop, he hurried over, intending to pull Charlotte out of the vehicle. However, her sharp gaze stopped him in his tracks.

He had no choice but to remove the golf cart's key to prevent Charlotte from starting the vehicle again.

The man lifted his head and met Charlotte's sharp gaze once again. He swallowed hard, and in the end, he didn't say anything. Instead, he went to the back of the golf cart to untie Beatrix.

Beatrix was dizzy after being dragged around the golf course for almost two laps by Charlotte's cart.

Upon seeing Jamison's arrival, Beatrix threw herself onto him, sobbing, "Hubby, Charlotte bullied me! She made me accompany her to the golf course to play, but she went back on her words. She even tied me to a golf cart and dragged me around to humiliate me..."

Jamison noticed her shivering from the cold, and her wrists were marked with bloody traces from the rope. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her, then helped her to her feet.

He looked at the woman standing before him, who was full of herself.

In a form-fitting red golf attire, her lips were vibrant red, and her teeth a dazzling white. She exuded a confident aura and pride. Her red, loose hair was lifted by the wind, making her look so stunning one could not look into her eyes.

Charlotte and Genevieve had always been the top beauties of all Jadeborough's socialites, with hardly any rivals to match them.

Although Beatrix was pretty, she was not a match for Charlotte.

Jamison was momentarily captivated by her beauty, feeling a faint regret in his heart. He couldn't help but think that if he hadn't chosen Beatrix back then, he would have married Charlotte.

Beatrix saw Jamison lost in thought and clenched her teeth in anger. "Hubby, are you just going to stand there and watch idly?"

Jamison came to his senses and said to Charlotte, "You should apologize to my wife."

Upon hearing this, Charlotte looked at him disdainfully. "She crashed my car and refused to pay for it. She should accept the punishment for losing the game. Why should I apologize to her? Are you out of your mind?"

"You didn't tell me about the punishment," Beatrix said menacingly and continued, "I don't need your apology either. I'll tie you to the golf cart and walk you like a dog, like what you did to me!"

Beatrix was toyed with by Charlotte for so long that she was furious. She couldn't swallow her pride and didn't care about anything else. All she wanted was to make Charlotte taste the same humiliation.

Jamison said, "Triss, let it go after she apologize to you."

"Why should I?" Beatrix was already full of resentment, and when Jamison did not take her side, she exploded, "She's the one treating me like a plaything, and you're still defending her?"

She glared at Jamison with a sneer. "You still have lingering feelings for Charlotte, don't you?"

"No, I don't."

Charlotte had to add fuel to the fire and make Beatrix feel even worse. "Beatrix, aren't you pitiful? You stole my fiancé, but his heart isn't with you. That's true. Before you were here, I was his first love. Don't you know that men have a first-love complex?"

"Well..." she said with a wicked smile, her red lips curled up. "When you two make love, do you think he ever imagines you as me?"

Beatrix was taken aback and turned her head to look at Jamison.

Seeing Jamison's downcast eyes, it seemed that Charlotte was right. Beatrix was so angry that she felt like she was going crazy. Like a mad dog, she lunged at Charlotte. "Charlotte, you b*tch, I'm going to kill you!"

Charlotte couldn't dodge in time and watched wide-eyed as Beatrix's sharp nails came at her eyes.

Chapter 1423 Was That Man Your First Love

Just as Beatrix's hand was about to reach Charlotte's face, a hand suddenly stretched out from the side and fiercely grabbed her wrist. The force was so strong that Beatrix felt as if her wrist was going to be crushed.

Feeling disgusted, Jerry could not stand touching Beatrix for even a second longer. He immediately pushed her away forcefully.

Charlotte's back was covered in sweat, and she looked as if she had just had a narrow escape. My eyes were so close to being ruined by Beatrix!

Turning her head, she saw Jerry, who had an outstanding demeanor, standing there with a baseball cap on. Her eyes lit up, and without any hesitation, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Jerry, how did you return so quickly?"

Beatrix had staggered back a few steps upon being pushed away by Jerry. Fortunately, Jamison was there to catch her, preventing her from falling.

Upon seeing Jerry, her heart jolted with an inexplicable sense of apprehension.

Yet, Jerry did not even glance at Beatrix. Instead, he only gave Jamison, who was beside Beatrix, a brief look before lowering his eyes to look at Charlotte.

"Did she bully you?"

"Yes." Charlotte nodded, feeling wronged as she spoke to him. "She was the one who wanted to bet with me, and she wouldn't even admit defeat. Thankfully, Jerry, you arrived just in time, or else my eyes would have been ruined by her."

Hearing this, Beatrix was so angry that her lips trembled. She wanted to curse back, but she did not dare to speak up.

Jerry then asked, "Should we bully her in return?"

Charlotte rubbed her chin affectionately on Jerry's coat and said with a smile, "Never mind, I'll let her off the hook this time since I'm so generous. Come with me to change my clothes, and then we'll go have dinner."

She could not be bothered with Beatrix and Jamison. Instead, she climbed onto Jerry's back and asked him to carry her to the changing room.

At this, Beatrix seemed to have been reminded of something, as she stared at the two of them with a strange expression.

Back then, Beatrix had listened to Eurydice and secretly arranged for a professional to set up a trap, who slowly lured Mr. Benson into it step by step, ultimately leading to the bankruptcy of Benson Corporation However, the person who took Mr. Benson's life was arranged by Eurydice, her cousin.

Why did Jerry attack Uncle Benedict, but not lay a hand on the Lowe family?

Could it be...

Jerry stood outside the changing room, having just lit a cigarette and taken two puffs, when Charlotte emerged, already changed into her new clothes.

Her coat was unbuttoned, revealing a rainbow-striped sweater and a short skirt underneath. Her fair left leg seemed to have been grazed, with dried blood still clinging to her skin.

Jerry walked over and squatted down, raising his hand to touch her wound. "Did you bump into something?"

In order to lure Beatrix to the golf course, Charlotte had deliberately let Beatrix push herself to the ground and scraped her knee on purpose.

It only hurt initially, but the pain had gone away.

However, when she saw Jerry caring about her wound, she acted aggrieved and said, "It was Beatrix who pushed me, and I bled quite a bit at the time."

Upon hearing this, Jerry asked the staff at the court for some iodine solution and band-aids. He then helped Charlotte disinfect the scraped area on her leg and put on the band-aid.

He gently touched her calf with the back of his hand, only to find it was very cold, causing his eyebrows to furrow in concern.

"Jerry, you're so wonderful! Not only does my leg not hurt anymore, but my heart is also filled with sweetness." Charlotte hugged Jerry and passionately kissed him. However, his face remained cold, clearly in a bad mood.

Seeing this, Charlotte did not dare to make a fuss anymore. "What's wrong? Are you upset?"

"No."

Jerry grabbed a hot towel to wipe his hands clean and got up to leave first. Charlotte hurriedly picked up her bag and followed him.

Holding his arm, Charlotte said in a sweet voice softly, "Jerry, can you please not be upset? I promise I'll be more careful next time so that I won't get hurt and you won't have to worry about me."

Jerry remained silent.

Upon arriving at the parking lot, Charlotte went ahead to open the passenger door, but Jerry pulled open the driver's door and climbed in instead.

Charlotte saw that he wanted to drive, so she handed him the car keys after getting into the passenger seat. However, she held onto his hand tightly, not letting him take the keys away easily.

"Jerry, do you really not want to talk to me?"

She got up and knelt beside the center console box, speaking to him while leaning in to affectionately kiss him twice. The faint scent of peach roses brushed against him.

Jerry was almost appeased by her coaxing.

He gently brushed Charlotte's hair behind her ear, gazing into her captivating eyes. "Is that man your first love?"

Chapter 1424 Was She Not Biased Enough Towards Him

"Yeah, not only was he my first love, we almost got married too." It had happened many years ago, and since everyone already knew about it, Charlotte no longer cared as much, so she subconsciously said it

out.

Only after she finished speaking did she realize that it was inappropriate.

People often could not forget the first person who made their hearts skip a beat and let them taste the flavor of love. This was the reason why so many people had a 'first love complex.'

Even after getting married and having children, the memory of that first love might still linger, sometimes even to the extent that their current spouse could not compare.

As my boyfriend, Jerry must have found it quite uncomfortable and irritating to see my first love. Now, I even gave the wrong answer to his question.

Isn't this adding fuel to the fire?

Charlotte immediately explained to Jerry. "Although he was my first love, I don't have any lingering feelings for him. I forgot about him that very year. Jerry, are you upset because you saw him?"

Jerry laughed, his tone cold. "If you really forgot him, then why did you keep changing your boyfriend one after another?"

"I really forgot him," Charlotte swore to him. "If I'm lying to you, I'm the worst! You know I'm not cut out for doing business, and it's boring being home alone, so I have no choice but to find someone to date to pass the time."

She hugged the man, affectionately leaning into his arms. "Jerry, how I wish that I could meet you earlier. We could have a love that never ends."

Jerry asked, "Is it because of him that you don't want to get married anymore?"

Charlotte was about to open her mouth to disagree. However, it was true that Jamison was a part of the reason. She did not want to get married partly because she was afraid of being tied down by marriage and partly because she had lost faith in love due to Jamison.

But she could not agree either.

Because if Jerry were to propose to her, she would not hesitate to reject him.

In the end, Charlotte did not give an answer. She just gently kissed Jerry's lips and said, "Jerry, regardless of whether we get married or not, you are the one I love the most. Please don't doubt my love for you, okay?"

She had always been adored by others and could not be bothered to spend time and energy pampering her boyfriends. If they upset her, she would simply find a new one.

However, whenever Jerry was upset, she was always willing to put aside her pride and coax him time and time again.

Was she not biased enough towards him?

Charlotte smoothed his furrowed brow and said with a smile, "Jerry, I've prepared a Christmas gift for you. Aren't you curious about what it is? Don't be angry anymore. Let's go eat, all right?"

Jerry knew that she would not change, so continuing the conversation with her would be pointless.

Casting a glance at Charlotte's exposed long legs, Jerry said indifferently, "Wearing a long skirt or pants in sub-zero winter temperatures would be the best Christmas gift you could give me."

"All right, I'll go buy a pair of pants and change into them later." Seeing that he was still in a bad mood, Charlotte agreed with him on everything.

By the time the two of them returned to the city from the golf course, it was almost seven o'clock.

Charlotte first took Jerry to the store to buy a pair of long pants. In order to make him happy, she tried on seven or eight items in one go. Jerry then asked the salesperson to pack up all those clothes.

Charlotte held Jerry's hand as they walked out of the store, looking up at him. "Jerry, are you feeling better now?"

"Yes."

Seeing that his mood had improved, Charlotte let out a sigh of relief. "Starting from tomorrow until the arrival of spring, I promise you that I will wear pants and won't wear any short skirts above the knee."

"Can you do it?" Jerry shot her a glance, clearly skeptical.

"Is my trustworthiness in your heart negative?" Charlotte hummed. "Don't worry, I can definitely do it. You can have someone supervise me. If I can't do it, you can deal with me as you see fit."

That night was Christmas Eve, and the shopping mall was packed with people. Thankfully, Charlotte had already reserved a private room at the barbecue restaurant in advance.

Winter was the perfect time for stew and barbecue. Moreover, Charlotte particularly enjoyed having Jerry grill the meat and bring it to her mouth. In her spare time, she could even take pictures of him working hard and show off to her friends on Instagram.

Chapter 1425 Carry Your Gift Out

Charlotte played with her phone for a while before putting it down. While eating the grilled meat, she started talking to Jerry about inviting Kieron for lunch at noon.

Charlotte complained, "Mr. Zuniga is so heartless. He's not satisfied with the intimate scene and wants to change the script, but he's afraid of the investors' complaints. As a result, he lured me into his trap and screwed me over."

"Last time, it took me a great deal of effort to persuade Leila to have her husband personally make a traditional attire..." she added as she rested her chin in her hand. Her face was full of worry. "Now that her husband has been acquitted, and she's not short of money, I don't know how to convince her to join Mr. Zuniga's film crew as a costume designer."

"Never mind, then." Jerry wrapped the grilled meat in lettuce and fed it to Charlotte's mouth. "The contract for this play hasn't been finalized yet, so I can choose not to accept it."

Charlotte took a bite of the grilled meat and said with a slurred voice, "Wouldn't all my previous efforts be wasted if I did that? Besides, the important role of the third female lead in this play is still Scarlette."

Genevieve offered me an opportunity to make money. I can't betray her for my own selfish desires.

Charlotte said she would go talk to Leila. Since Leila wasn't short of money, Charlotte would find another way to approach the matter. Then, Charlotte and Jerry changed the subject and started discussing othe things.

After finishing the grilled meat, Charlotte heard that there was a performance on the first floor of the mall and wanted to take Jerry to join in the fun. As they were going down the escalator, Charlotte received a phone call.

She finished the call within a minute, then turned to Jerry and said, "Jerry, Jess needs my help and asked me to go to her place."

"I'll go with you," said Jerry.

"No need. She just asked me to pick something up." Charlotte handed the car keys to Jerry. Then she hugged him and nuzzled against him. "You wait for me at my condominium. The electronic passcode hasn't changed."

After finishing speaking, Charlotte let go of him and turned around to leave, her figure disappearing into the vast crowd.

By the time Jerry looked up to find her, she had already left.

As the car passed by the flower shop, Jerry got off and bought a bouquet of irises. When he arrived at Charlotte's condominium, he entered the electronic password to open the door.

In the next moment, the sensor light at the entrance lit up.

While Jerry was changing his shoes, he accidentally noticed a card placed on the soft stool next to him. It was flipped open, and it read: Mr. Pann, please follow Santa Claus to receive your Christmas gift.

Only then, Jerry noticed a Santa Claus figure in the hallway leading to the living room. The figure was holding up a sign with an arrow pointing in a certain direction.

Jerry couldn't help but laugh. He followed the sign to the living room and turned on the lights.

As the living room lights turned on, a cheerful classic Christmas song played from the speakers. "All I want for Christmas is you. You, baby..."

The living room featured a sunken design, and in the corner by the floor-to-ceiling window stood a nearly two-meter-tall Christmas tree. The colorful lights on the tree extended from the top down, eventually encircling a Christmas gift box beside it.

This gift box was quite large, and it was hard to guess what mysterious present lay within. A red ribbon tightly bound the box together.

Jerry pulled the ribbon and, in the instant he lifted the lid of the gift box, countless red palm-sized balloons floated out. Then, as if by magic, a red figure appeared before him.

"Jerry, Merry Christmas!"

The woman wore a red and white striped rabbit headband, with a small bell tied around her fair neck. When she moved, the bell would jingle crisply. She was dressed in a beautiful, strapless red velvet Christmas outfit.

The corners of her eyes lifted, her gaze captivating and alluring. She looked charming and enticing, as if she was a red fox transformed into human form.

Seeing Jerry's stunned expression, Charlotte couldn't help but laugh. She reached out and playfully tapped Jerry's nose. "What's the matter? Don't you like this Christmas gift?"

"I like it." Jerry didn't expect her to be so full of surprises, and he was indeed pleased by her.

Charlotte opened her hands toward him and said, "Well, aren't you going to carry the gift out?”

Jerry fiercely kissed her on the face, and only then did he lift her out of the gift box.

Charlotte snuggled up against the man a few times, and then whispered in his ear, "I had this dress specially made. The dress comes off when you give the ribbon at the back just a tug. Would you like to give it a try?"

"Yes." Jerry's Adam's apple bobbed, and a faint hint of desire welled up in Jerry's eyes.

Charlotte smiled and teased him, "Pervert!"

Chapter 1426 I Will Accompany You On Twelfth Night

After Jerry's desires were fulfilled by Charlotte, Jerry suddenly remembered something and rubbed his eyebrows in annoyance.

He pulled open the bedside drawer and rummaged through it. After finding an unopened box of medicine, he took out a pill and leaned over, gently patting Charlotte's cheek. "Babe, take your medicine."

Charlotte frowned at the noise and swatted Jerry's hand away before pulling the blanket over herself.

Jerry held the medicine in his mouth and took a sip of water. He pinched Charlotte's chin, intending to feed her the medicine with his mouth. But in the instant their lips met, he hesitated for some unknown reason.

He pressed against her soft lips, making no further moves.

Charlotte caught a whiff of Jerry's scent and instinctively kissed him, then embraced his waist to find a comfortable position to continue sleeping.

Jerry's eyes turned gloomy. In the end, Jerry swallowed the medicine and turned off the bedside lamp.

The next morning, Charlotte thought about the things she had to deal with that day. She woke up as soon as the alarm clock rang for the second time without needing Jerry to coax her.

The housekeeper who took care of Charlotte's daily needs was still with Jessica, so Charlotte and Jerry had no choice but to go out for breakfast.

Today, the temperature was around minus six degrees, and the wind made it feel even colder.

Even though the café had the heater on, Charlotte still tucked her hands into Jerry's coat. "It's so strange this year. It's almost January, and the first snowfall hasn't come yet. I thought it would snow on Christmas."

"Your birthday is in a few days," she continued as she looked up at Jerry. "Do you think it will snow on your birthday?"

"Well, I have to ask then," said Jerry. He made a gesture by his ear, as if he was calling someone on the phone, and asked earnestly, "Is this the weather station? Can you tell me if it's going to snow on the 29th? My girlfriend wants to see snow."

Charlotte couldn't help but laugh at his antics. "The company will throw you a birthday party when the time comes."

Jerry responded with a hum, clearly not very excited.

"How about this? They celebrate your birthday with you during the day, and I'll be with you at night," Charlotte said as she wrapped her arms around Jerry's waist. "In addition to the custom cake, I've also prepared a fantastic birthday gift for you."

She also promised Jerry, "Not only on your birthday, but I'll also be with you on Twelfth Night and New Year's Eve."

Jerry was delighted by Charlotte's coaxing, and a faint smile appeared in his eyes. He lowered his head and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Hurry up and eat your breakfast; the spaghetti won't taste good once they've turned cold."

Jerry has a 10 o'clock appointment to be at an event to promote a wristwatch brand. After having breakfast, Charlotte personally accompanied him to the shopping mall.

Then Charlotte called Leila and drove to the tailor shop.

On the 18th, Joshua's murder case was retried. Due to the conclusive evidence, Joshua was ultimately acquitted, while Joshua's ex-wife was sentenced to thirty years in prison.

Joshua had been in prison for nearly ten years, and he was almost completely disconnected from the outside world. During this time, Leila closed her tailor shop and stayed by Joshua's side, helping him adapt to the world outside.

It wasn't until today that Joshua decided to visit the tailor shop, and Leila accompanied him.

When Charlotte entered the tailor shop, she saw Leila talking to a man who was busy working at the counter. Leila was wearing a dark blue traditional gown with loop buttons. Although Leila's hair was white, her face was filled with smiles.

Previously, when Charlotte met Leila, she saw sorrow filling the latter's eyes and face. However, Leila was full of vitality now, as if she had become a completely different person.

Leila saw Charlotte coming and greeted the latter with a smile, then introduced the man beside her. "This is my husband, Joshua Norton."

Joshua wore a sweater the same color as Leila's gown. He had an elegant demeanor. Although wrinkles had formed at the corners of his eyes, his facial features were still handsome, revealing that he must have been quite attractive in his youth.

Joshua said to Charlotte, "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to see my wife before the retrial of my case."

Since Joshua's ex-wife had relatives working in the court, Leila couldn't visit Joshua in prison after he was imprisoned. Over the years, all Leila could do was write letters and send her own photos to him.

That day, after Leila was able to visit the prison, she couldn't stop crying when she saw Joshua.

"No need to thank me. This is a deal between me and Ms. Joule," said Charlotte. If it weren't for Genevieve's help, she wouldn't have had the ability to let Leila visit the prison as well.

Chapter 1427 Perhaps It Was Her Retribution

Leila knew Charlotte didn't like to drink espresso, so she specially made hot chocolate for the latter.

After taking a sip of hot chocolate, Charlotte didn't beat around the bush with Leila. "Ms. Joule, there's a director who really admires your traditional gown craftsmanship and wants you to be the costume designer for their film crew. I know you're not short of money, but the director said you can name your price if you go."

As soon as she finished speaking, Leila nodded with a smile. "All right."

"Hmm?" Charlotte was momentarily puzzled.

I know Leila has her pride and is not short of money. Nowadays, Leila will only make one traditional gown for others each year. However, in order to save her husband, she has broken the rules several times.

"But I'm not the one who makes the clothes, it's my husband," said Leila. "I just assist him. If that director agrees, we'll take the job."

Norton Tailor Shop used to be a well-known brand in Jadeborough, and countless celebrities would line up to have Joshua make their clothes before he got involved in the murder case. Now that his name had been cleared, he and his wife were both helping the film crew with their costumes. The director wouldn't be displeased; if anything, he'd be overjoyed.

"The director will surely agree." Charlotte asked cautiously, "Do you have any requests?"

Leila shook her head with a faint smile. "I want to help my husband restore his reputation as soon as possible. Since the film crew has given us this opportunity, it's a win-win situation. I have no other demands as well."

"All right."

After learning about Leila's response, Charlotte called Kieron's studio. As Charlotte expected, Kieron was extremely excited to find out that Joshua and Leila would be coming to his film crew to be their costume designers.

Afterward, Charlotte gave Leila's contact information to Kieron, allowing them to discuss the collaboration details themselves.

After chatting with Leila, Charlotte felt a bit dazed as she left the tailor shop. Before coming, she had been worried that she wouldn't be able to reach an agreement with Leila.

Unexpectedly, Leila agreed so easily...

Charlotte glanced back at the tailor shop where Joshua and Leila were talking in front of the workbench. Joshua tucked his wife's hair behind her ear and leaned in to give her a kiss.

Joshua's eyes were filled with a gentle smile. His love for his wife was intense and passionate, and he didn't hide it at all.

Charlotte had always believed that there was no eternal love in this world. Even the deepest love between two people would fade over time, eventually leading to them growing tired of each other.

Now, it seemed her thoughts had changed slightly.

Even though Joshua's ex-wife used their child to pressure him into remarrying her several times, he never compromised for Leila's sake. After he was imprisoned, Leila didn't give up either, running around trying to get him out. Meanwhile, Joshua didn't lose hope or give up on himself and strived to live his life in prison.

Even though the two have been apart for nearly ten years, unable to see each other during this time, their love for each other remains deep and strong.

Charlotte took out her phone to check the time and saw a news notification from a few minutes ago.

Benedict's wife accidentally tripped and hit her head. She was taken to the military hospital last night and was still unconscious.

Charlotte browsed through the comments and saw one from a medical student saying that the human brain was the most vulnerable part of the body. Since Gwendolyn hadn't woken up all night, it was quite possible that she might never wake up again.

At that moment, Charlotte felt an indescribable sense of exhilaration in her heart.

Charlotte's family was ruined by the Gaudette family, and she didn't want to let them off easily. She once tried to hook up with Sean-who had a grudge against the Gaudette family-so that she could use him to deal with the other members of the Gaudette family.

Later on, she didn't want to upset Jerry, so she gave up on the plan. Unexpectedly, Gwendolyn ended up facing retribution herself.

A thought suddenly occurred in Charlotte's mind. Is it really not intentionally caused by someone?

Charlotte opened her contacts list, wanting to call Timothy and ask him what had happened. But then she thought that since she was neither Timothy's sister nor his wife, how could she expect him to take risks for her every time?

Perhaps Gwendolyn really got her retribution.

The wind blew across Charlotte's face, making her shiver from the cold. She pulled up the scarf around her neck to cover her cheeks and hurried toward the car by the roadside.

The scarf was wrapped around her by Jerry when she got out of the car. The scarf still carried his scent.

Charlotte suddenly felt a surge of longing in her heart.

She felt that merely dating Jerry was not enough; she wanted to marry him and stay by his side forever.

Chapter 1428 I Miss Him Very Much

After getting in the car, Charlotte switched on her phone again and called Jerry eagerly.

However, it was Joash who answered the phone. "Hello Ms. Benson, Jerry is currently on stage taking photos with the brand representatives and doesn't have time to answer the call. How about I ask Jerry to call you back later?"

"No need. Just tell him I miss him a lot." After saying this, Charlotte tossed her phone onto the passenger seat, feeling extremely happy.

Joash who had just answered the phone over there-scratched his head with a puzzled expression on his face.

If Ms. Benson misses Jerry, why doesn't she just send him a WhatsApp message? Could it be that Jerry had blocked her again?

Meanwhile, Charlotte drove to the Cartier store.

Charlotte had purchased quite a few pieces of jewelry from Cartier. Every year, she would order two or three sets of high-end jewelry, making her a super VIP customer here.

As soon as she arrived, the sales assistant immediately came over to greet her. "Ms. Benson."

"I want to choose a pair of wedding rings," said Charlotte as she looked at the man on the advertising screen.

He wore a sleek black suit, lounging casually in the chair. His tight chest muscles were eye-catching, and his hair was slicked back, revealing a pair of sharp and defiant eyes. A platinum ring adorned his slender ring finger, and his entire presence exuded an overwhelming amount of charisma.

The sales assistant followed Charlotte's gaze and smiled as she said, "Jerry is the global ambassador for Cartier. The ring he's wearing is from the 'Love' collection, and it's also a wedding ring."

Charlotte thought this was the December cover that Jerry shot for a certain weekly magazine, but she didn't expect the magazine to have collaborated with Cartier.

I can't believe my man is the global ambassador for Cartier as well.

Charlotte pointed at the advertisement screen and said, "I want this one."

The sales assistant said "okay" and quickly brought a ring for Charlotte to try on, as the sales assistant knew Charlotte's ring size. "Ms. Benson, do you know your boyfriend's ring size?"

Charlotte held back her laughter and pointed at the man on the advertising screen. "My boyfriend has the same ring size as him."

"It seems your boyfriend has hands as good-looking as Mr. Pann," the sales assistant complimented, then went to the nearby counter to look for men's wedding rings.

Soon, the sales assistant returned and informed Charlotte that they didn't have the men's wedding ring in that size in stock at their store. They would need to call their branch in Attlewich and have it transferred from there.

"No problem, as long as they have stock." Charlotte handed over the card. "I'll come to pick up the ring on the 29th."

The sales assistant promised Charlotte that the goods would definitely be transferred over before the 29th.

After being at an event to promote a wristwatch brand, Jerry went to a magazine company in the afternoon for an interview. He finished work relatively early and went to the production company to find Charlotte around five o'clock.

Seeing Charlotte in such a great mood, Jerry asked her if anything good had happened.

Yet, Charlotte simply wouldn't tell him.

On the morning of the 28th, Charlotte accompanied Scarlette to Ophelia Cosmetics' headquarters for an advertisement shoot. More than half of the scenes were to be shot outdoors. But unexpectedly, a heavy downpour occurred, forcing the shoot to be postponed to the 29th.

However, the torrential rain continued until the afternoon of the 29th. Due to the severe weather, all flights in Baykeep were grounded.

Charlotte saw a video of snowfall in Jadeborough and a video of her colleagues celebrating Jerry's birthday in the company group chat this morning.

Jerry sent her a message asking when she would return.

Charlotte replied she would be back before nine o'clock at night. She went to negotiate with the brand representatives. After reaching an agreement, she had her assistant take care of Scarlette. She would rush to Baykeep early tomorrow morning and then hurry to the high-speed rail station.

The terrible weather was so bad that even when Charlotte wanted to take a private jet back, the captain refused to take the job.

Fortunately, the bad weather did not affect the high-speed train. However, the train was relatively slow, and by the time Charlotte returned to Jadeborough, it was already past seven o'clock in the evening.

The heavy snow caused the roads to be submerged in snow, leading to frequent accidents. Charlotte saw that traffic accidents had caused road congestion, with a long line of cars forming behind.

She was a bit annoyed with herself for jinxing it. Why did I have to pray for snow on Jerry's birthday?

After much difficulty, the taxi finally made its way to the city center. However, the driver accidentally rear-ended a Magotan. Relying on the fact that his car was insured, the driver got out and took photos, then called the police.

Charlotte was absolutely furious, and she fiercely kicked the taxi.

Fortunately, the Cartier store was just five hundred meters away. Charlotte was extremely grateful that she wore flats today. She jogged to the Cartier store to pick up the ring.

Charlotte had just put the ring and the receipt together in the bag when her phone rang again.

She took out her phone and saw that it was Jessica calling. As she walked outside, she answered the call, "Jess, I'm not free right now..."

Charlotte promised Jerry that she would definitely return before nine o'clock.

Before Charlotte could finish speaking, she heard Sasha's trembling and tearful baby voice from the other end of the phone. "Aunt Charlotte, Mom and Dad are arguing, and it's really heated."

Chapter 1429 Could You Give Me a Ride

Charlotte faintly heard the sound of intense arguments coming from the other side of the phone.

Charlotte was worried that Sasha would be frightened, so she comforted Sasha by saying that she would be there soon. Charlotte told Sasha to go to the bathroom and close the door, then hung up the phone and went to the door to hail a cab.

However, it was snowing heavily today, and taxis were in high demand. Charlotte couldn't get one even after waiting for a long time.

Charlotte walked forward for a while, planning to try again on a less crowded part of the road. Soon, a car approached from behind and pulled up next to her.

"Ms. Benson."

Charlotte instinctively stopped in her tracks, noticing the car parked to the side. She then saw Sean stepping out of the car after pushing the rear door open.

He opened the umbrella in his hand to shield her from the heavy snowfall.

"It's so great to bump into you on the road!" Charlotte couldn't afford to chat more with Sean, as she mentioned she was in a hurry to get to Harnedy Gardens.

Sean didn't ask any questions and shielded Charlotte as she got into the car.

Charlotte had just walked in the snow for a while, so her hat and coat were covered in snow. Sean raised his hand to brush it off for her, so that the warm air in the car wouldn't melt the snow and soak her clothes later.

The intimate moments between the two people in front of the car were all witnessed by someone hidden in a vehicle behind them.

Seeing the car in front driving away, the car behind quietly followed.

On the way to Harnedy Gardens, Charlotte called Sasha again. Sasha obediently hid in the bathroom. With both doors closed, she could hardly hear the quarrel in the living room.

However, Sasha had just witnessed her parents arguing, and her dad even threw things around. She was so scared that she still hadn't recovered from the shock.

Sean saw Charlotte comforting Sasha while constantly looking out the window with furrowed brows, as if she wished she could fly to Harnedy Gardens immediately. He told the driver to run the red lights all the way.

It took less than fifteen minutes to deliver Charlotte to Harnedy Gardens.

The car entered the residential area and stopped in front of the condominium building where Jessica lived. Charlotte hurriedly got out of the car and, while closing the door, hastily expressed her gratitude to Sean.

Sean saw Charlotte's bag being left on the seat. As he picked it up and looked out the window, Charlotte had already disappeared from sight.

As Charlotte approached Jessica's condominium, which was one of two units on the floor, she could hear the sound of an argument coming from inside as soon as she stepped out of the elevator. She walked up quickly and pressed the doorbell firmly.

Afraid that the people inside wouldn't hear her due to their quarreling, Charlotte called out, "Jess, it's me."

After Charlotte finished speaking, the quarrel inside the room seemed to have subsided a bit. Charlotte pressed the doorbell twice more, and about two minutes later, the door was opened.

Charlotte saw Jessica's unkempt hair and red and swollen eyes. The latter looked quite disheveled.

Jessica was as intelligent as their father, and she was a strong-willed and powerful woman. However, because she used all her intelligence in business, she appeared rather naïve when it came to relationship matters.

At home, Jessica was not domineering at all; on the contrary, she always goes along with Henry's wishes.

Charlotte always thought that Jessica was lucky to have a husband with such a good temperament who cared for her deeply. If it were any other shrewd man, he would have played with Jessica's emotions and left her spinning in circles.

Charlotte finished tidying up Jessica's hair and asked with a frown, "Jess, what's going on?"

Jessica raised her hand to touch the corner of her eye, seemingly too uncomfortable to speak for a while. Charlotte helped Jessica to the couch to sit down. After looking around the house, Charlotte noticed that only Henry and Jessica were present.

The housekeeper who used to look after Charlotte's daily life was no longer around, so it was no wonder that Sasha was the one who called Charlotte when the couple argued.

Charlotte went to ask Henry, "Where is Mary, the one I sent to cook for you? And what's going on with Sophia? Why hasn't she come back after being away for so long to deal with her family matters?"

Henry took off his glasses and wiped them, simply saying, "She's a thief."

Before Charlotte could speak, Jessica angrily said from the couch, "Henry, you know who the thief is here. Mary used to be my mom's old housekeeper, and I know her character well."

"Are you saying that she won't steal just because she's an old housekeeper?" Henry asked in return.

Charlotte sensed that something was wrong, so she went to ask Jessica, "Jess, did you argue with Henry because something was stolen? What was stolen?"

Chapter 1430 He Cheated

"The jewelry sets in the safety deposit box were stolen," said Jessica, "And also the bracelet Mom left for me."

Charlotte knew about that bracelet.

When Jiminy married their mother, he not only prepared a grand wedding for her, but also spent nearly three hundred million to buy a pair of emerald bangles as a wedding gift. After Abigail Watts passed away Jiminy wanted to give one of the emerald bangles to Charlotte and Jessica each.

However, Charlotte didn't like emerald bangles, so they became part of Jessica's dowry.

After the Benson family went bankrupt, their house, car, and the jewelry that Jiminy had bought for the two sisters were all sold to pay off their debts. The only thing left in Jessica's possession was this pair of emerald bangles.

Charlotte stood with her hands on her hips, frowning as she asked, "Did Mary really steal it?"

"No," Jessica glanced at her husband and said coldly, "Sophia is the only person other than Henry and I who knows the password to the safety deposit box in the bedroom."

Henry immediately said, "What nonsense are you talking about? She's just a housekeeper. How would she know the password to the safety deposit box?"

Jessica stood up from the couch and looked at Henry. "When Mary came to take care of Sasha, I hadn't returned from my business trip. On what grounds are you so sure that Mary stole it? If it wasn't Sophia who stole it, why didn't you let me report the missing jewelry to the police?"

“།

I just don't want to make a big fuss about this..."

"Do you really not want to make a big fuss about this because you're afraid of losing face?" Jessica interrupted him fiercely, her lips trembling. "You're just afraid of your mother-in-law getting arrested!"

Charlotte froze, looking at Jessica in disbelief. "Jess, what did you just say?"

Jessica didn't want to tell Charlotte about these shameful matters, but she had been suppressing it for too long and couldn't help herself. Touching her eyes, she said in a hoarse voice, "He cheated on me, and Sophia is that woman's mother."

Ever since the Benson family went bankrupt, Henry started going on frequent business trips to Baykeep, even staying there for a week or two at a time. Jessica couldn't help but feel that something was off.

Previously, Henry used to place his phone around casually, and the password was simply Jessica's birthday. Later on, however, he changed the password.

What further magnified the uneasiness in Jessica's heart was their private life. Every time Henry returned from a business trip in Baykeep, he would say that he was too tired from work and didn't want to have

sex.

With so many people in the company's management, what could possibly keep him on edge and busy every day?

Henry was very cautious. Jessica knew that hiring a private detective would be useless. Fortunately, she had a friend in the Lambert family's branch office located in Baykeep. Hence, Jessica asked her friend to help her gather information.

In less than two weeks, Jessica learned from her friend that Henry indeed had a woman in Baykeep, and the woman was even a female executive at the branch company.

Jessica looked at the photo her friend sent and realized that this woman used to work at Benson Corporation and was a management trainee Jessica had personally mentored. When Jessica found out, she had a complete emotional breakdown.

Jessica was shrewd in business, but she tended to be indecisive and easily swayed when it came to her relationship.

Every time, Jessica would watch Sasha standing at the door waiting for Henry to come home, then rushing into his arms to kiss him and cling to him, calling him "Daddy." Along with Jessica's desire to rely on the Lambert family to help Benson Corporation make a comeback, Jessica could turn a blind eye as long as Henry didn't mess around with that woman in front of Jessica, all for the sake of their child.

Unexpectedly, the housekeeper who took care of their daily life turned out to be that woman's mother. No wonder Henry would pay the housekeeper such a high salary.

Sophia stole several sets of expensive jewelry from Jessica, as well as Jessica's mother's jade bracelet. Despite this, Henry continued to defend Sophia, which ultimately led to Jessica's complete outburst. Jessica ended up arguing with him in front of their child.

After learning about these matters from Jessica, Charlotte couldn't help but want to smash Henry's head.

Previously, Charlotte used to envy Jessica and Henry for their loving relationship and for having their child, Sasha. Little did she know that his gentle demeanor was just a facade.

Charlotte stared at Henry with a sneer. "No wonder Kenneth and Jessica want to work at your family's company. You said you didn't have control over the company and that working in the same company as a married couple could easily lead to conflicts... It turns out that you arranged for your mistress to be an executive at the branch office to avoid getting caught by my sister due to your close interactions!"