The song’s overture began to play.Charlotte snuck a peek at Zachary, then looked at the big screen. Her clear gaze was filled with anxiety.Miranda smirked.She had chosen the song “Love After Death”. This song required a particularly low singing voice and particularly high notes too. Even a professional singer was at risk of sounding like a wailing ghost if she lost focus, let alone Charlotte.‘Charlotte Simmons, I’m going to completely humiliate you in front of my brother today, you fake!’“Love, long after death… Ugh…”As expected, Charlotte’s voice cracked due to her nervousness. She let out a noise that sounded like a squealing pig.“Pfft!” Miranda snorted so hard that she nearly spat out blood. She stuck her middle finger at Charlotte and said. “Well, you have the microphone now. You’re gonna have to finish the song, even if you’re going to scream through it. Or I’m going to scorn you.”Charlotte looked at Zachary awkwardly.Zachary simply raised his brows, looking abso
Lorraine immediately turned her “friendly” gaze toward Charlotte. “Carlie, Mimi called and told me that Zachary’s organized a karaoke party for my birthday. I was so happy, but it’s made me even happier to know that you’re here too.”“Oh, really?”Charlotte gently raised her dark brows.“My arrival shouldn’t bring you joy, should it? It should come as a shock instead, am I correct?”Lorraine’s pale face immediately filled with hints of embarrassment.Charlotte openly snapped back at Lorraine and continued speaking to her in a curt tone. “It’s Miranda who organized this party for you. Zachary and I were tricked into coming here. Zachary never planned on celebrating your birthday with you. I’m afraid your little surprise is an empty celebration.”“Is this true, Mimi?”Despite having orchestrated this charade with Miranda, Lorraine still acted shocked.Miranda played along with Lorraine. “So what if I did? Besides, you’re our aunt now. Uncle Jebediah’s been out of the country for
Miranda was speechless from shock.Lorraine felt as if she had fallen into a cave of ice. Her smile froze in place.Zachary refused to look at Lorraine any longer. His magnetic, regal voice showed no signs of warmth. “I find singing such a sentiment song with my own aunt utterly disgusting. It’s dishonest.”Lorraine’s beautiful figure wavered. Her pretty, limpid eyes filled with disappointment.Charlotte immediately felt a warm current washing over her heart. Her gaze upon Zachary gradually filled with warmth.“Zach! It’s Lory’s birthday! You won’t even sing with her? When did you become so unreasonable?” Miranda was extremely indignant.Zachary’s inky, dark eyes were only filled with ice. “If you’re so eager to be reasonable, you can sing with her.”“You…” Miranda angrily stomped her foot. “Hmph! Big deal. I’ll sing with her then. Come on, Lory, let’s sing together!”Lorraine, who was pale with disappointment, looked at Zachary. Her sultry red lips replied in a heartbroken ton
“Hmph! My brother’s gone too far, Lory! He knows you’re here because of him, yet he’s tossed you aside and left without so much as a word. Why the hell should we even continue with this karaoke? Let’s go!”Miranda sulkily glared at Charlotte and dragged Lorraine away, leaving Charlotte all alone.‘I’m not leaving! I promised Zachary to wait for him to pick me up. So I’m going to stay here and wait for him.’The excitement and songs from next door served as a foil for her loneliness.Time passed slowly. Finally, after an unknown measure of time, someone pushed the door open.“Za—” Her voice immediately trailed off when she saw that it was Miranda. The joy in her eyes instantly turned to disappointment.Miranda stood by the door and stared at her with disdain.“What a joke. Zach’s abandoned you long ago, and you, his deserted wife, are still waiting for him like an idiot.”Charlotte lifted her face curtly.“Miranda, I know you don’t like me, and I’ve never once expected for anyt
“Wait here, Miranda.”She climbed up the wooden ladder as she spoke and poked her head out of the skylight. Suddenly, she felt as if she had been doused with a bucket of cold water. The smirk on the corners of her lips immediately froze in place.She had actually seen Zachary, and he wasn’t alone. The woman held tightly in his arms was most definitely Lorraine.Initially, she wondered if she had been imagining things. However, she focused her gaze and saw Zachary’s chiseled face underneath the sun, clear as day. There was no mistake!“Zach, I felt like the world’s luckiest woman when you told me you still loved me. I want to hear you say it again.”Lorraine, who lay the side of her face against Zachary’s chest, looked like she was drowning in bliss.The man’s thin lips gently nibbled against Lorraine’s ear.“Lory, I love you. It’s always been you.”“Zach…” Lorraine’s beautiful figure trembled while tears streamed down her face like pearls.“I love you too. My heart will always
Charlotte returned to the karaoke room.Charlotte sat on the loveseat that she had shared with Zachary. She had been consumed with thoughts of Zachary when she waited for him here, and her heart was filled with warmth.Now, this room felt more like an ice cave. Every pore in her body was screaming from the chill.“Lory, I love you. It’s always been you.“I will continue this nominal marriage with her. Lory, as long as our hearts are one, no one can tear us apart.”Zachary’s voice reverberated in her ears like a spell. That kiss he shared with Lorraine felt like a poisonous dart to her heart. Her heart ached every time she thought of it, and her body trembled.However, she was determined to wait for Zachary here!Zachary had told her to wait for him here, so he would come back to her.She was going to ask him, personally, once he returned—he clearly still loved Lorraine, so why was he still lying to her and making her think that he was determined to break it off with Lorraine?
“Must be nice to be rich. You can afford a luxury car, comfortable interior, more than enough space…”The girl forcefully pulled on the man’s arm, “Let’s go home and continue that dream then. You’ll never be able to afford the tires off that car with your pay.”“Sigh…” The man stared pointedly at the intertwined figures in the car. His eyes filled with envy.“Hmph! You men are all alike. You just can’t stop staring at beautiful women. If you don’t leave now, you can forget about coming home!” The girl pushed the man away and left in a huff.The man reluctantly tore himself away from the scene in the vehicle and ran after the girl. “Mary, I was just enjoying the show. Don’t be angry…”Based on the couple’s conversation, Charlotte knew that someone was getting busy in the car parked in lot number 17. Usually, she wouldn’t miss out on such an entertaining show. However, she wasn’t in a good mood at this point, so she did not peer inside the car at all. Instead, she headed toward he
The corner of Lorraine’s lips curled up as a hint of profundity that did not match her innocence crossed her alluring eyes. “I will tell and apologize to Zachary myself about this in the future. For now, you have to keep it a secret.”Miranda chuckled. “Don’t worry. I know my brother better than you do. I wouldn’t risk my neck to lie to my brother if I had the choice. I just hope that he never learns the truth.”Zachary was the person who doted on her the most in this world.The thing he hated the most was that the people he cared about lied to him. Therefore, Miranda had silently vowed that she would never deceive or tell him any lie no matter what happened.‘Zach, please forgive me this time. That slut Charlotte Simmons doesn’t deserve you. Everything I do is for your own good!’Lorraine went back into the car, and a clear voice erupted from the back. “You’re playing with fire. Once Zachary finds out everything you did behind his back, you’re screwed.”Lorraine gave a dry smile
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