Chapter 57 Testing the Waters
"Yes, Mr. Windsor." Nathan didn't dare ask questions and immediately agreed.
He could sense the suppressed fury in Charles's tone; this clearly wasn't a simple matter.
Charles hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.
Emily's image kept appearing in his mind, along with scenes of that strange man entering her apartment.
He knew his behavior was somewhat excessive, but he couldn't control himself. He had to know who that man was, had to know the nature of Emily's relationship with him.
The night grew deeper, yet Charles's office remained brightly lit. He was waiting for Nathan's investigation results, and also waiting for a reason that would put his mind at ease.
After putting the three children to sleep, Emily sat alone in the living room, gazing at the night sky outside.
"Elodie, I need your help."
The next morning, the dining table was set with a hearty breakfast. Emily looked at the three children with a serious expression and said, "Jasper, Ethan, Emma, I have something to tell you."
The three children put down their utensils and looked at her in unison.
"From now on, you're not allowed to have any contact with Charles, and you can't go to the Windsor Manor anymore." Emily's tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
Ethan furrowed his little brow, his mind racing. "Mom, why? William is super nice—he even told us stories."
Emma nodded along, "Yeah, Mom, Charles is really nice, too. He even helped me brush the kitten's fur."
Emily's heart tightened, unable to help feeling sorry for these two innocent children.
Charles had deliberately approached them, yet they still thought that bastard was a good person!
"There's no why—just listen to me, okay?" She was afraid Charles would use Ethan and Emma's hair for a paternity test today, and the results would come out soon.
Then Charles would know the truth.
She didn't want any connection with Charles, and she was even more worried that he would use his power to take the children away from her.
"Mom, do you not like Charles?" Emma asked carefully, her big eyes full of innocence.
Emily avoided the children's gazes and said vaguely, "It's not that I don't like him, it's just that we're not the same kind of people. It's better to keep our distance."
"But the king crab at William's house was so delicious, and Charles taught us about space science," Emma spoke up for Charles and William, her eyes showing a hint of longing, her little hands unconsciously fidgeting with her clothes. "Mom, I really wish I had a dad like Charles..."
Hearing this, Emily knew she needed to use her secret weapon to get through this. She covered her eyes and pretended to cry, "Don't you love me anymore?"
When Emma saw Emily crying, she immediately panicked. Tears started streaming down her face as she cried too. "Mom, I was wrong! I don't want a dad anymore. I only want you! Please don't be sad."
She was tenderhearted and couldn't bear to see Emily upset.
Jasper and Ethan exchanged glances, both recognizing that Emily was deflecting and deliberately playing the victim.
Ethan pouted, thinking to himself, 'Mom's trick is so old-fashioned.'
But they knew Emily was worried about them, so they could only helplessly shake their heads.
Emily was their mother. They could only indulge her.
Jasper patted Emma's shoulder, his voice steady, "Okay, Emma, Mom isn't sad anymore, so you don't need to cry either."
He could roughly guess that Emily was worried about Charles using his power to take them away, which was something he'd been considering since learning that Charles was their father.
Perhaps they could test Charles's character.
Seeing that she'd achieved her goal, Emily immediately put down her hands and smiled. "Okay, okay, let's not cry anymore. Today I'll personally drive you to school, how about that?"
"Okay!" Emma immediately broke into a smile through her tears. Children's emotions came and went quickly.
After finishing breakfast, Emily set off with the three children.
But as soon as they reached the main road, they encountered traffic. The long line of cars wasn't moving at all.
Emily checked the time; they were definitely going to be late today.
The children weren't in a hurry. Jasper took out a book to read, while Ethan and Emma started playing a fighting game that Ethan was particularly good at.
By the time they finally reached the school, they were half an hour later than usual. Emily hurriedly said goodbye to the children and rushed to the company.
When she reached the Obscura Fashion building, Emily was walking through the landscaped area when she was accidentally bitten by a bug, feeling a sharp pain on her neck.
She drew in a sharp breath. She wanted to go to the restroom to check her neck, but since she was already late, she went directly into the company.
As soon as she walked into her office, she saw Charles sitting at her desk, his face grim, and the air around him was heavy with menace.
"Mr. Windsor? What are you doing here?" Emily was somewhat surprised. Why was he haunting her like a ghost?
Charles looked up at her with sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Emily, quite punctual, aren't you?"
Emily glanced at the time—she was already an hour late. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she said, "Sorry, Mr. Windsor, there was traffic."
Charles let out a cold laugh, "I think you played too late with your boyfriend last night and couldn't get up this morning."
Emily looked completely bewildered.
Charles stood up and walked in front of her, commanding in his CEO's status. "Emily, I hope you can focus more on work and stop letting personal matters affect your attendance. Obscura Fashion is a subsidiary of the Windsor Group, not a place for you to slack off."
Emily was completely confused by his words, not knowing what she had done to offend him.
Charles's gaze inadvertently swept across Emily's neck, catching sight of the red mark there. His eyes instantly became even colder.
Emily had definitely been with that man last night, and this mark on her neck was the evidence!
Fury burned in his heart. He wanted to lash out at Emily, but couldn't find an appropriate reason, so he could only suppress it forcibly, turn around, and return to his CEO office, his expression extremely grim.
All morning, Charles paced back and forth in his office, occasionally taking out his phone to look at the photo of that strange man, his mind churning repeatedly.
What exactly was he lacking compared to that man?
In terms of looks, wealth, or status, wasn't he top-tier in every aspect?
Finally, Charles couldn't stand it anymore. He called Nathan in and asked out of nowhere, "Nathan, how do I look?"