That night, Charlotte was plagued with nightmares. When the sun rose again, she woke up covered in sweat.
Her wide eyes were fixed on the ceiling as she panted.
It took her a long while before she was able to collect herself. After making sure that she was in a room in the villa and that she was safe, she sighed in relief.
Her clothes stuck to her, and it felt uncomfortable, so she headed to the bathroom for a shower. When her hands came into contact with water, a pang of pain traveled up her fingers. It was only then she realized the skin on the tip of her thumb was torn.
Charlotte paid no heed to it, thinking that it was an injury from her escape yesterday.
After washing up, she walked out of the bathroom just in time to hear someone knocking on the door. Raina’s voice then came from behind the door. “Ms. Windt, may I come in?”
“Yes,” Charlotte replied.
Raina entered the room with a birdcage in her hands.
Fifi lay quietly inside as it observed the foreign environment fearfully.
The moment it saw Charlotte, however, it brightened up and fluttered its injured wing before yelling, “Mommy! Mommy!”
“Fifi!” Charlotte quickly strode over to open the cage.
Fifi flew out and landed on Charlotte’s shoulder. Seeking reassurance, it rubbed its feathery head on Charlotte’s cheek.
“Good girl.” Charlotte kissed it gently.
Fifi then lay quietly in the crook of her neck like a child in her mother’s arms.
“What an intelligent parrot!” Raina exclaimed. “It’s adorable!”
“It’s part of my family.” Charlotte caressed Fifi’s wings. “How is it? Is it hurt badly?”
“It’ll have to rest its wing, and we’ll have to change its bandage every two days. It’ll be fine in a month,” Raina responded as she closed the cage.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Charlotte sighed in relief. “If it wasn’t for Fifi saving me, I’d be dead by now.”
“Speaking of which…” Raina reported, “I’ve investigated this incident. The ones who sent you the gift and the ones who attacked Divine Corporation are all done by the same party. Ben and I will be taking charge of this case, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“What? Are you sure?” The news stunned Charlotte. “The ones who attacked Divine Corporation should be Mr. Nacht’s rivals. Why would they want to kill me? I’m just a nobody.”
“You are not just some nobody,” was Raina’s profound reply before she changed the topic. “Oh, by the way, Mr. Nacht has invited you to breakfast. So, hurry up and get ready for it.”
Before Charlotte could come back to her senses, Raina had already bowed her head and left.
Charlotte thought about what happened last night. She had made a promise carelessly to ensure her safety. Is Zachary going to force me to sign the paper now?
At that thought, Charlotte panicked. Oh no. If I sign the paper, I’ll become his slave, won’t I?
“Ellie, Ellie!”
Fifi’s cry interrupted Charlotte’s thoughts.
“Hush,” Charlotte murmured to the parrot. “Fifi, this isn’t our house, so you’ll have to be careful with your words, okay? Don’t mention Robbie, Jamie, or Ellie. Do you understand?”
“Robbie. Jamie. Ellie.”
It seemed like Fifi did not quite understand her words as it continued crying out the names of the children. It had been two days since Fifi saw the kids, and the parrot missed them dearly.
“Fifi…”
Charlotte was about to reprimand it when the door suddenly flung open. Zachary, who was dressed in a casual suit, strode into the room.
“Why don’t you ever knock when you come in?”
Charlotte was panicking, fearing that Fifi would blurt out something it shouldn’t have, and he would find out about the children.
“This is my home.” Zachary sat on the couch before crossing his leg. “How was your sleep last night?”
“It was all right…” Charlotte glanced at him timidly before she tentatively said, “Mr. Nacht, thank you for saving me. I think it’s time for me to go home.”
“Your house’s been blown into smithereens. What home are you going back to?” Zachary took out a stack of checks before scribbling a string of numbers on one. He then handed it to her. “Here, use it to buy a house instead of renting.”
“What?” Charlotte was dumbfounded. Did I mishear him? The Devil is giving me money to buy a house?
