Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Charles sighed softly and turned to lead Ruben into the house.

The living room of the Rosewood Estate felt like the air had frozen solid.

Ruben sat on the couch, nervously rubbing his pants, his eyes darting around. 

He rarely had one-on-one interactions with Charles, whose cold demeanor always made him uneasy.

The once fiery Ruben, faced with Charles's impatient expression, suddenly forgot what he wanted to say.

He had never been involved in Charles's upbringing; that was always William's responsibility. So, trying to adopt a stern, educational stance with Charles was proving difficult.

Wait, what was he supposed to say again?

"Dad, what exactly do you need?" Charles broke the silence, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

He had to get to the airport soon and didn't have much time to waste.

Ruben swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "The family's been in turmoil lately. Some people just can't stay out of trouble, always trying to stir things up."

Charles raised an eyebrow. Alvin again?

"I'll find time to talk to Alvin."

"Who said anything about Alvin?" Ruben's voice rose sharply, then quickly lowered. "I'm talking about... some people who have wives and kid but still cheat. This behavior is absolutely disgraceful in our family!"

Charles was even more puzzled. "Dad, who are you talking about? I've been busy with work and family lately, and I haven't heard of anyone..."

"I'm talking about you!" Ruben finally couldn't hold back, slapping his thigh and standing up. "Your wife knows about your affair! And you're here pretending to be clueless!"

Charles was completely stunned, his eyes wide with shock. "An affair? Dad, where did you hear such rumors? Patricia and I..."

"Don't mention Patricia!" Ruben interrupted. "I'm telling you, you better break it off with that mistress, or I won't let you off!"

Charles was utterly bewildered.

He opened his mouth to defend himself, but at that moment, Paul walked in briskly.

"Mr. Anderson, the car is ready. If you don't leave now, you'll miss your flight."

Charles stood up, frowning at Ruben. "Dad, I really have to go on a business trip, for a project in Regal City. It's not what you think. We'll talk more when I get back."

"A business trip? I bet you're going to see that mistress!" Ruben fumed, watching Charles's retreating figure. He stomped his foot and turned to head back to the Anderson Mansion.

He had to tell Missy about this immediately and come up with a plan.

In the corner of the living room, Lillian clutched her medicine packet, her face pale.

She had just found out from Ellie when Patricia was leaving, but now Charles was leaving too!

She had meticulously planned to make a move on Charles once Patricia was gone, but now her plans were thwarted.

A surge of anger rose within her, and she glared hatefully at the door.

"Ms. Brown, are you okay?" Ellie passed by with a fruit platter and couldn't help but ask, noticing Lillian's expression.

She glanced into the living room, seeing that Charles and Ruben were gone, and muttered, "Where did everyone go?"

Lillian was startled, quickly composing herself and forcing a smile. "Nothing... I'm just feeling a bit unwell. I'll go rest in my room."

She practically fled the scene.

Ellie watched her retreating figure, her brows furrowing slightly.

Lillian had been acting strange lately, always sneaking around. She needed to keep an eye on her.

She quickly pulled out her phone and sent a message to Patricia.

Patricia had just settled into her seat on the plane when her phone buzzed. She saw the message from Ellie.

[Mrs. Anderson, something's off with Lillian.]

Patricia smiled lightly. She had intended to ask Ellie to keep an eye on Lillian, but Ellie was even more perceptive than she had expected.

Patricia replied, thanking Ellie for her vigilance, and then switched her phone to airplane mode.

The plane cruised smoothly above the clouds. Patricia had chosen a window seat and listened to Calvin talk about the design exhibition in Regal City.

"This exhibition, led by Mark, will feature many emerging designers' works. It should be quite inspiring for you," Calvin said warmly. "Regal City's fabric market is also unique. We can take some time to explore it; you might find the materials you're looking for."

Patricia nodded. "I'm looking forward to it. By the way, do you know any good market shops in Regal City?"

Calvin paused, then smiled. "Are you planning to get a gift for Emily?"

Patricia's cheeks flushed slightly, and she made up a quick lie. "Yes, Emily has been begging to come along, so I need to bring her something."

In truth, she wanted to find a gift for Charles.

Thinking about his recent changes, how he protected Emily at preschool, and his vague apology at night, her heart felt a gentle tug.

But the past wounds were like a thorn, deeply embedded, making her hesitant to get close.

She sighed, pushing the thoughts aside, and focused on discussing designs with Calvin.

Back at the Anderson Mansion, Missy was sipping coffee when Ruben burst in, panting heavily.

"What happened to you?"

Ruben, still catching his breath, grabbed her coffee and gulped it down. "Big trouble!"

"What trouble? Why are you so flustered?" Missy patted his back to help him catch his breath. "Didn't I ask you to talk to Charles? Did you see the mistress?"

She had urged Ruben to confront Charles and specifically instructed him to give the mistress a piece of his mind.

She was a lady and couldn't do such things herself, but Ruben could.

Ruben, unaware of her plans, panted, "I did. He said he's going on a business trip."

"Going on a trip is normal for him."

"No! He's seeing someone else! I tried to stop him at Rosewood Estate, but he insisted it was a business trip. I asked his secretary Nina yesterday, and she said he had no work scheduled. I bet he's going to see that mistress!"

Missy's face darkened instantly. "Where is he going?"

"He said Regal City!" Ruben said, exasperated. "I bet that woman is there. Why else would he go so far?"

Missy was stunned for a moment, then slammed the table, gritting her teeth. "Charles! I thought he had changed, staying home with the kid. But he's still the same! Patricia just left, and he's off to cheat! I need to come up with a plan!"

"What plan?"

Missy's mind raced. She remembered Patricia asking her to talk to William about adding Emily to the Anderson Family registry.

"Ruben, let's go to Dad now and bring up Emily joining the family registry." She grabbed Ruben and pulled him along, explaining as they walked. 

"Charles cares about that mistress? I'll make sure he knows that only Patricia is recognized by our family, and only Emily is the legitimate heir!"

Ruben's eyes lit up. "Let's go, quickly, before Dad goes off to play golf and we can't reach him."