“Zachary, what do you mean by that? Everyone here is your family, and they are all older than you. This is how you teach your wife to respect the elders?”Annalita’s face turned even darker. There was no expression on Zachary’s face. He looked at them coldly as he said, “Do you guys really want to hear her explanation? Didn’t all of you have agreed to humiliate her together? Even if she explained, you all would just hurl more harsh words at her. Why bother explaining since she would only invite more humiliation to herself?” “You…”Annalita’s face turned red and pale from her rage.Annalita’s six close relatives lowered their heads in shame.Zachary was right. Annalita had instructed them to teach her a lesson, and it was also Annalita who had asked Miranda to “expose” Charlotte in front of everyone. As long as Charlotte tried to defend herself, they would throw round after round of sarcastic remarks at her until she gave up. However, they did not expect that Zachary would se
Annalita’s well-maintained complexion was filled with shock and disbelief.“Zach, have you forgotten your own mother’s birthday? You’re one of the hosts for tonight’s birthday party too. Our guests will consider me a laughing stock if you abandon me. Are you going to disregard my pride too, for this tramp?”The six close relatives gaped in shock.Zachary’s acquaintances were all aware that there were only three people whom Zachary truly cared about—his mother, Annalita, his sister, Miranda, and his nephew, Zenios. Among the three, Annalita was first in line.Therefore, Zachary may seem as terrifying as Hades himself to an outsider, but he was completely obedient to Annalita. He was always considerate of her. He would never defy Annalita, not even at the expense of his own grief… Today, however, he had not only talked back to Annalita in order to protect Charlotte, but he was even ready to wave his hand, leave Annalita’s birthday party, and embarrass her!‘Miranda was right! That
Charlotte walked away very quickly. In her haste, she absentmindedly bumped into a woman, causing her to spill all of the red wine in her glass onto her dress.“Sor—” Charlotte froze before she could complete her apology when she saw the woman’s face.“I saw it, that entire show with Annalita picking on you? What a treat.” The woman with heavy made-up swirled her empty wine glass.A prickling pain overwhelmed Charlotte. However, she calmly replied, “Regardless of what’s happened to me, you of all people are least deserving of my little ‘show’.”The woman’s eyes filled with derision.“Pfft! Who wants to see that? It’s a disgusting sight. You’re just like that old man, Walter Simmons. You’re the biggest mistakes of my life.”Charlotte was about to return the sentiment until she found herself speechless as if she had a lump in her throat.The woman with soft, wavy hair, fair skin, and exquisite makeup before her looked like a cool and elegant young wife who was only a few years o
Kourtney may be completely unfazed as she continued making out with the man, but Charlotte’s face was flushed from humiliation. She quickened her pace and ran out of the boat.Kourtney really was her mother.However, she had never shown her any motherly affection, not even for a day.Kourtney had tossed her off to a maid as soon as she had given birth to her as if she were throwing out the trash. After a month, having achieved full recovery postpartum, she had slept with the butler and had been caught in the act by Charlotte’s father…Her father may have been in love with Kourtney, but he couldn’t stand the humiliation, so he kicked her out.As such, her father had ended up raising her on his own. Kourtney had never once visited her during her childhood.Alfred had once told Charlotte that Kourtney had tried to smother her to death on the second day after her birth. Luckily, he had caught her just in time and saved her!Charlotte stood quietly on the deck, deep in thought.She
That voice sounded very familiar to Charlotte.She turned around and saw Miranda and Annalita, along with their four close relatives tagging along.Miranda glanced at Charlotte and stuck her middle finger out at Kourtney.“Scheming b*tches are good at selecting prime locations. This boat is a vessel for the super-rich high rollers tonight. They’re bound to strike a huge profit in one night, just by advertising their business.”“I’ve only just started my business, and I only have one customer, which means I’ve only earned a few thousand dollars.”Kourtney took a puff of smoke and deliberately exhaled it onto Miranda’s face. “I’ve heard that you’re still relying on your brother, and you’re all grown up. You bawl and wail like a baby whenever your brother refuses to give you money, you poor thing! You have the body of a model and a rather pretty face. You must have some market demand, so why not earn some money with me? Be more independent.”“You sl*t!”Miranda immediately lost h
The other two relatives had retreated all the way to the center of the deck before Miranda could even ask for their help. They shook their heads.“You… All of you…” The infuriated and terrified Miranda burst into tears.Just then, Charlotte climbed over the railing and dove into the sea without hesitation.She had already begun taking off her clothes when Annalita fell into the sea. She enjoyed water sports, so she was well aware of how chilling ocean water could be at this time of the night. Diving head-first was extremely risky, so she took off her clothes and did a quick warm-up before jumping in.Charlotte quickly brought Annalita back onto the boat.The four relatives who were reluctant to save her surrounded her at once.“Anna, I was just about to jump and save you, but that woman got to you first.”“Anna, you’re a blessed soul. You’ll be fine.”“Anna, you’re all wet. Here, take my coat—”“Enough!”Annalita pushed Miranda’s Second Uncle’s coat away in disgust. She refus
“What!?” Miranda was stunned. “Mom, what’s wrong with you? Do you know that she’s the daughter of that old vixen, Kourtney? How can you acknowledge her as my ‘sister-in-law’? How can you ask me to—”“When I ask you to take it off, just do it. Are you trying to defy me too?” Annalita interrupted Miranda.Miranda bit her lower lip and began to take off her shirt reluctantly.At that moment, Charlotte suddenly turned around. “There’s no need to do so, I’m not cold, and I don’t like to wear other people’s clothes. You should keep it with you.” She then gave off a proud smile and walked away.Miranda sneered. “Mom, look at her. She does know how to act well. She’s shivering like a butterfly caught in a cold storm but still claims that she’s not cold. She’s just another faker and way more bewitching than Lorraine Larson.”Annalita did not respond to that comment. Instead, she just shook her head. ‘Yes! Charlotte and Lorraine do resemble each other very much, and both of them are like Ko
Zenios threw the suitcase he used to pack his clothes to Charlotte. “You’ll find some clothes in here. You can wear whatever you like.”Charlotte shook her head. “No.”If this were to take place in the past, she would have worn Zenios’s clothes without any hesitation. However, now that she knew how Zenios felt for her, she would never comply with such an extraordinary suggestion again—She would just stand in the living room and leave when her clothes had dried.“Uh! Okay!” Zenios was staring fixedly at her. His breathtakingly attractive face flushed as if there was lava flowing underneath his cheeks.Charlotte was puzzled. “What’s the matter?”“Uh... It’s nothing... Ahem! I just think that you look more beautiful in wet clothes, hehe...”It was clear to Zenios that he should be shifting his gaze away from her at this moment, but he seemed to have lost control of his eyes, and he still stared at her fixedly...It was safe to say that Charlotte looked sexier and more seductive n
As expected, a video had been sent to Charlotte’s inbox.Charlotte opened it and found a video of her recent sexual encounter with Zachary in the car. She screamed and blushed furiously.Before long, she received a message from Rufus.“This exciting clip of you with Zachary is your remuneration. I will keep it safe and save it for my future enjoyment. Our debt has been repaid. You’re welcome!”Charlotte’s expression stiffened.A few minutes later, she received another message.“I won’t let anyone see this. Don’t worry.”Charlotte questioned herself.She had no idea how Rufus had managed to get this video. He was in a different city. However, she let go of the question soon enough, as Rufus had already sent the information to her inbox.The next day, at a high-class hotel in Rothesay.A black Masserati was parked outside the hotel entrance. As two bodyguards escorted a pot-bellied, middle-aged man out of the hotel, the driver hurriedly opened the Masserati’s door and said in a
“Lory…” A clear and melodious voice called out.A fair hand held her by the wrist as a car stopped nearby.“Zachary is openly making love to another woman in front of you. He’s obviously just trying to hurt you. You know this, so why are you still standing here, watching foolishly?”Lorraine shook her head feebly. It took her a while before she calmed down and replied shakily, “You’re wrong, Jez. Zachary isn’t doing it with her to hurt me. I’m nothing to him now. Carlie is the only thing that matters to him. He would never use tools to hurt me. He’s doing this because he’s so in love with Carlie that he’s lost control!”“Uh…” Jezebel turned awkwardly toward Charlotte’s car, shook her head, and said, “Lory, since you know you mean nothing to Zachary, why are you still torturing yourself? Forget him, and I’ll take you anywhere you like. Isn’t that much better?”“No!” Lorraine grimaced. Her eyes flashed hatefully.“It’s all Charlotte’s fault that Zach and I have ended up this way. I
The corners of Charlotte’s lips twitched. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”“Why?” Zachary kept his eyes on her.There was no doubt about it. Not only did his wife have an extremely exquisite face, but her figure was also graceful and well-proportioned, better than a supermodel’s.The subtle display of fair flesh underneath her skirt seemed to exude a seductive fragrance. Her waist, which was the width of an A4 size paper, was slender. He felt an urge to hold her in his arms. She crossed her slender and well-proportioned legs naturally, creating a dark silhouette…‘D*mn it!’Zachary realized that the longer his gaze lingered on Charlotte’s body, the brighter the flames of passion burned within him, even though he had always abstained.“Based on Rothesay tradition, a man and a woman can only be considered husband and wife after holding a proper wedding ceremony. I know we’ve registered, but people will talk if we live together without having a ceremony,” Charlotte replied calmly
Charlotte remained sitting calmly in the car. She knew that this time, Zachary was determined to strangle Lorraine to death.Of course, she didn’t want Zachary to do it… But not because she didn’t want Lorraine to die. It was because Lorraine had Jezebel’s support. If Zachary killed her, Jezebel would do everything to avenge Lorraine.It wasn’t worth it for Zachary to plunge into mutual destruction with Lorraine. She didn’t deserve him.Charlotte knew very well that since Lorraine, who was a natural schemer, had the nerve to seek her out alone, it meant that she would have been prepared to run into Zachary and would ensure that Zachary would be too afraid to kill her.Thus, even though Zachary was strangling Lorraine, Charlotte did not exit the car to stop him.The car door opened and closed.Charlotte felt a bone-chilling aura throughout the entire car as soon as Zachary entered the co-driver’s seat.Zachary didn’t speak. Instead, he stared at her.Despite her intimate relatio
“What have you done?” Zachary’s voice was as cold as a frosty wind.“I’ve hired a few assassins. The assassins and I have had an agreement. If anything happens to me, they will do everything in their power to kill Charlotte and her two kids!”Charlotte’s entire body went cold as soon as she heard this.“Hehehe… Sorry, Zach, I misspoke. I shouldn’t have said ‘her two kids’. They’re yours and Charlotte’s kids, aren’t they?”Lorraine supported herself as she rose to her feet.In the past, no matter what happened, she would always do her best to maintain a good impression in front of Zachary, to show him the best parts of her.Now, she knew that his impression of her was gone with the wind. She cackled freely like a maniac. “Hahahaha… Look at that nervous look on your face, Zach. You’ve always been fearless, but she’s the only one who’s ever been able to make you lose your sh*t, isn’t she?”Zachary eyed Lorraine icily, his gaze as sharp as cold knives. Lorraine, whose heart was no
Lorraine forgot about the pain due to the intense panic she felt and stared at Zachary in disbelief. “Zachary, what do you mean by these scary remarks? I’m pregnant, yet you kicked me, disregarding mine and the child’s well-being. Could you be... Are you thinking of... Are you thinking of killing me?”“A wicked woman like you deserves more than just death.” Zachary’s cold voice slapped Lorraine in the face.Lorraine’s lips trembled, but she could not utter another word, as if her throat was being severely strangled by an invisible hand.Cough! A large mouthful of blood was spat out of her mouth, dyeing her white dress red.Although she did not feel pain or fear, her heart was glacial.She also knew that she deserved more than just death!‘But... wicked woman?‘I didn’t expect to be labeled as a “wicked woman” in Zachary’s heart someday!’As he was glaring at this pitiful woman, there was not even a hint of sympathy in Zachary’s eyes, and his voice still sounded frigid and merci
Lucas called not long after Charlotte put down her cell phone. “Milady, I just received a call from my ex-girlfriend, who I dumped last month, and she said that she just found out that she’s pregnant and she suspects that the baby might be my child... Ahem!“Therefore, I have to go to the hospital to get a paternity test with her as soon as possible. I don’t have time to drive Naomi back to your house, so you can either pick her up yourself or just let Naomi stay at the Second Master’s house.”Charlotte decided to pick Naomi up.As soon as she drove out of the yard gate, a crimson Ferrari dashed toward her head-on. She immediately turned the steering wheel sharply, avoiding a direct clash with the car.Braking harshly, the Ferrari hit the tree and killed its engine.Charlotte also stepped on the brake.The Ferrari’s door was pushed open abruptly, and Lorraine walked in front of Charlotte’s car angrily. She then pointed at Charlotte with her trembling right hand. “Charlotte Simmon
“Don’t forget who I am. There’s nothing that I can’t find out as long as I want to know... Aaaah—“Baby, you‘re hurting me. Don’t be too greedy... Oh, slow down, I’m on the phone. Oh. Ow—” The man’s voice was interrupted by a series of his own cries, and a woman’s moans were coming from the background at the same time.Charlotte vaguely pictured a rather explicit scene, blushed, and cleared her throat. “Um... I can call you later if it’s inconvenient for you to speak now.”“There’s no need. It’s convenient. Very convenient... Good girls, wait for me on the bed. I’ll get angry otherwise, understand?”“Hmph, are we less significant than your phone calls? Hmph!”“Don’t keep us waiting!”The sound of footsteps faded away.The man squinted his rare violet eyes and said languidly, “My little Simmons Princess, I’ve long heard people say that you’re still alive, and I really want to take a look at you with my own eyes, but I’ve sworn to never take another step into Rothesay. You should
Zachary looked at Charlotte through the window as a surge of pride swelled inside of him. “She’s my wife right now, so she’s your niece-in-law. You shouldn’t call her ‘that woman’ anymore.”The corner of the man’s lips curled up a little when he heard what Zachary had said. However, he soon reverted to his serious expression and continued. “Zach, even if she’s your wife now, I have to warn you. You have to think twice before you act. My great-grandfather, who’s also your great-grandfather, was framed and died in prison for offending someone from the royal family. Your great-great-grandmother wrote a letter with her own blood and came up with a family rule. The Connors are only allowed to do business. They are not allowed to deal with people from the government. Do you really want to break the family rule for her?”“Yes,” Zachary replied, his deep brown eyes filled with murderous intent. “I owe her a wedding, and I don’t want them to interfere with my wedding.”The man opened his mou