The Plot
“Are you saying that their plan wasn’t to trick you but to deceive the public and spark outrage?”
The truth finally dawned on Lupine.
“They know how strong your relationship with Mr. Nacht is and the fact that you’re an intelligent and
sharp-witted person. Therefore, there was no way they could’ve fooled you with an impostor for long.
“Consequently, they leaked Mr. Nacht’s return to the press, announcing to the world that he isn’t dead
and that he was sent to the hospital after suffering injuries in the fire.
“Now that they’ve spread rumors of you holding Mr. Nacht captive to seize the Nacht family assets, no
one will believe you if you accuse him of being an impostor.”
“Exactly.” Charlotte’s brows remained tightly knitted.
“What do we do now?” Lupine was worried. “What should we do? This feels like a lost cause.”
“Let’s verify his identity first,” Charlotte asserted. “If he is real, everything would be worth it. Otherwise,
we’ll play along and use the situation to our advantage.”
“Play along?” Lupine was baffled as to what she meant.
“No matter what, we can’t alert them yet. All of you should treat him the same way as before and
pretend that you know nothing.”
“Understood.” Lupine nodded. “But… will you… be in danger?”
Too embarrassed to be candid, she phrased her question vaguely. She could see that “Zachary” liked
to be intimate with Charlotte. Even though he might not harm her for the sake of his plan, he might
somehow take advantage of her, complicating matters when the real Zachary returned.
“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” Charlotte was not concerned at all.
Soon, their car arrived at Northridge.
Ever since the fire at Southridge, everyone had moved to Northridge. As for then, Southridge remained
sealed.
Initially, Spencer suggested for it to be renovated soon, but Charlotte forbade anyone from doing so.
Firstly, it would be convenient for the police to collect evidence. Secondly, it served as a reminder for
her to learn her lesson.
“Mrs. Nacht, you’re back!”
When Hanna saw Charlotte, she rushed toward her. “Mr. Nacht doesn’t seem to be feeling well, as he
didn’t eat the food that I have prepared for him. What should I do?”
“Thanks for your effort, Mrs. Rawlston. What did you cook him?” Charlotte asked.
“His favorite beef stroganoff, vegetable broth, and some other snacks.” Hanna was extremely troubled.
“Thinking that his appetite wasn’t good, I boiled some medicinal broth for him. Even then, he refused to
have any.”
“Cook some vegetable beef soup then. He likes that.” Charlotte smiled slightly. “Coincidentally, I feel
like having some too.”
“Okay, I’ll get right to it.” Hanna headed back to the kitchen and busied herself.
After walking upstairs, Charlotte headed to the study instead of returning to the bedroom.
Turning on her computer, she went through all sorts of folders containing the news articles Lucy had
compiled. Some of them even had annotations made by the latter.
When Charlotte clicked into one of the articles, she saw how ridiculous the discussions had become.
There were all sorts of wild speculations. Some even went as far as saying that she would soon be
brought to justice.
Just as she was reading it, the police called and urged her to assist in their investigations as soon as
possible. Otherwise, they would have to pick her up from Northridge.
Charlotte was about to reply when a familiar figure entered the study. The moment she looked up, their
eyes met. His gaze was as gentle as it had always been.
For a split second, she was shaken, thinking that he was the real Zachary.
“Ms. Lindberg, Ms. Lindberg…”
The police officer’s voice interrupted her train of thought, pulling her back from being overwhelmed by
her emotions. Very quickly, her rationality returned. “All right. I understand. I’ll be there at six.”
After ending the call, she raised her head to look at “Zachary.” “The police are urging me to assist in
their investigations.”
“Ignore them.” “Zachary” walked over and hugged her from behind. “With me around, no one can bully
my wife.”
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