The reason was simple.
He needed someone to handle the elderly relatives at home until Kayla returned, and she was a favorite of his parents and grandfather, making her the perfect fit.
Sometimes she wanted to ask, did she look like a fool? Otherwise, why would Charles naturally assume that she would willingly help him hide his affair from his family?
Now that he suddenly brought it up, her chest still felt tight.
Despite half a year of mental preparation and knowing that he was a jerk, some emotions still lingered.
She sat down on the couch and took out her phone.
Opening WhatsApp, she found the contact labeled 'Lab Rat' and opened the conversation that hadn't been touched for two years.
She typed a message: 'Find out if the Lancelot Group has encountered any difficulties recently and if Charles is terminally ill.'
Almost instantly, she received a reply.
Lab rat: '!!!!!!!'
Lab rat: 'Daphne, are you back from the dead?'
Lab rat: 'Fuck, never expected to receive a message from you. Where have you been for the past two years, disappearing without a trace for so long?'
Lab rat: 'Do you know we all thought you were dead?'
Daphne remained silent.
She didn't explain much. Feeling annoyed, she replied with a single word: 'Investigate.'
Lab rat: 'Okay!'
Daphne left her phone there, waiting for a response.
If Charles planned to divorce her out of fear of burdening her, she could forgive him and even help him. But if he really cheated on her, she would leave him without hesitation.
After about half an hour, there was a new message on her phone.
Lab rat: [No difficulties, no terminal illnesses, no sickness.]
Lab rat: [Daphne, why did you have me look this up?]
Lab rat: [And I must say, Charles is handsome and rich. You two make a great match. Don't you like good-looking guys? Want to give it a try with him?]
Ignoring his question, Daphne replied without any hesitation: [You go well with dogs.]
After sending this message, she exited WhatsApp.
If there were no external factors, then there was only one reason: Charles truly was a jerk!
Lab rat was baffled by the scolding he received. What happened to Daphne?
He couldn't find an answer to this question right now.
Daphne glanced at the divorce agreement on the table, hesitated for a moment, then took the nearby pen and signed it, and she tossed it into the cabinet in the room, and then went to the bathroom to take a shower.
After her shower, she noticed unread WhatsApp messages with a count of 99+ and 32 missed calls on her phone.
Daphne: "..."
Without needing to guess, she already knew that Kevin White (Lab Rat) had shared the news of her contacting him with everyone.
She used a dry towel to wipe her damp and disheveled hair and intended to check the messages on her phone.
Before she could unlock it, a call came in from "dummy dad."
Looking at this person whom she hadn't contacted in two years, Daphne couldn't express her emotions.
She left Gedser because of her mother's situation, and just like her, he didn't contact her either. The two of them understood that well.
After hesitating for a while, she decided to answer the call.
Daphne's voice was faint, "Hello."
The words fell.
The phone call remained silent, without a sound.
Daphne had little patience for him and was about to hang up when the other person spoke, their voice slightly hoarse, "Daffy."
The familiar nickname stirred up Daphne's deepest memories.
In a calm tone, she asked, "What's up?"
"I heard from Kevin that you contacted him," the middle-aged man's voice continued, faint guilt apparent in it. "He said you're investigating Charles. Is there anything I can help with?"
"No," Daphne didn't want to involve him too much.
Blake Murphy paused for a moment before speaking again, "Then, what is your relationship with him?"
"About-to-be divorced spouses," Daphne replied calmly.
Mr. Murphy: "You...Divorce? Daffy? Spouses?”
"I'm hanging up, it's nothing," Daphne didn't want to say more to him.
Mr. Murphy quickly interjected, "Wait."
Daphne remained silent, and the atmosphere became tense.
After a while, he spoke again, "When will you come back?"
"That person doesn't live here," Mr. Murphy...
Terrified that she might hang up, Mr. Murphy added, "No one has touched your mother's things either."
Emotions churned in Daphne's eyes as she replied coldly, "Got it."
After saying this, she hung up without a hint of hesitation. Mr. Murphy felt a bit aggrieved as he held his phone. He hadn't even asked about marriage yet...
Daphne didn't care about what he thought and immediately switched her phone to airplane mode after hanging up.
She dried her hair and lay down on the bed to sleep.
A dreamless night passed.
The next morning, Daphne woke up at eight o'clock, washed up, ate breakfast, and changed clothes.
Today, she put on a light makeup specially, making her enticing complexion even more radiant after the makeup, with full lips and no visible lip lines.
However, the most attractive feature was her enchanting eyes. Her smile could heal everything.
When Charles arrived, he saw that she had already finished getting ready and was sitting on the sofa.
Her shoulder-length hair was pinned behind her ears, her bangs were brushed up, and she was wearing a black beret on her head.
Upon seeing him, she stood up, took the coat from the side, and exuded the demeanor of a noble lady.
"Let's go," Daphne said, holding a bag in her hand.
Charles didn't move. His well-fitted suit accentuated his tall figure.
"Not today," he said in a low and somewhat indifferent voice. His gaze unintentionally lingered on her as he continued, "I have other matters to attend to. I'll accompany you tomorrow."
"Charles, I put on makeup today," Daphne kindly reminded him. "If you still want the divorce to go smoothly, push back your own matters. I don't like people who don't keep their word."
Charles's eyes were sharp like a knife.
After weighing the pros and cons, he stepped outside and made a phone call, vaguely mentioning Kayla and some follow-up examinations at the hospital.
Daphne's hand holding the bag became emotional as she silently cursed at him.
He was still obsessing over his crush at a time like this.
Charles didn't notice her emotions. Instead, he thought she looked exceptionally beautiful today. It was a stark contrast to her usual gentle appearance, and her demeanor had also changed quite a bit.
After hanging up the phone, he asked her where she wanted to go shopping. Daphne mentioned the biggest luxury goods mall in Ivrea City.
It was more like going to shop for supplies than going shopping.
By ten o'clock, the four bodyguards following them were already carrying bags filled with watches, jewelry, handbags, and clothes that Daphne had bought.
Charles received one deduction message after another, showing the amount of money spent.
Looking at the woman who had just entered the top luxury jewelry store, his face darkened. Now, he finally understood that this woman deliberately wanted to provoke him.