As they entered the city, the fierce storm began to fade away, as if it had never urred at all.
A gentle spring breeze swept through, scattering the remnants of dark clouds, and a vibrant rainbow arched across the sky like a beautiful painting. Everyone gazed up in awe, captivated by the wonders of nature.
Charlie pulled the car to a stop at the entrance of the antique market, letting Zachary out.
Once Zachary exited the vehicle, he bowed respectfully to Charlie and said, “Thank you, Master Wade!”
Charlie looked at him and replied calmly, “Zach, promise me you won’t mention what happened today to anyone, understood?”<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">
“Absolutely! Don’t worry, Master Wade,” Zachary assured him, his tone sincere and full of admiration, viewing Charlie as a figure of greatness.<fnbad0> Th?s chapter is updated by Find~Novel</fnbad0>
Charlie nodded and drove off, while Zachary remained rooted to the spot, watching until Charlie’s car vanished from view.
Charlie then took Loreen, who stayed in the car, directly to the hotel.
Loreen had lived in Shangri-La since her arrival in Aurous Hill. The hotel boasted top-notch security, a property of the Wade family, ensuring that her cousin would think twice before attempting any harm against her.
During the ride, Loreen cast aplicated nce at Charlie, feeling as though a heavy weight was pressing down on her heart. She had so much to express—gratitude, apologies, and regrets for underestimating him and misjudging his character.
However, she couldn’t voice any of this in front of ire.
There were several moments when words teetered on her lips, but she swallowed them back.
As Loreen approached the hotel lobby, ire embraced her warmly, saying, “Loreen, always remember to call Charlie if you’re ever in trouble. Don’t put yourself at risk.”
Loreen nodded and replied, “I promise, ire, I will.”
Watching ire hug Loreen, Charlie couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. He could count on one hand how many times his wife had hugged him, while she and her best friend shared hugs frequently. It stung a little.
Unbeknownst to him, Loreen envied ire’s closeness with Charlie.
Being ire’s best friend, Charlie was determined to protect Loreen as much as he could. As the two women said their goodbyes, he sent a text to Isaac: “Please inform the Thomas family in Eastcliff that if anyone dares to harm Loreen Thomas again, I will make them regret it!”
Given the Thomas family’s lesser influencepared to the Wade family, Charlie believed they would think twice before trying anything for the time being.
***
Once they returned home, ire rushed to the bathroom to shower and change out of her rain-soaked clothes.
Charlie handed over the money Zachary had given him to Jacob.
Jacob took the three hundred thousand with a triumphantugh. “Haha! This is just the start! Next time, I’ll use the same method and rake in three million! Finally, I can provide afortable life for this family! Hahaha!”
Charlie smiled awkwardly, thinking to himself, ‘Oh dear father-inw, please go easy on Zachary. I’m not sure how much he makes from his schemes, but he just lost three hundred grand to you! He’ll probably still buy junk from you since you’re family, but you’re on the path to bankrupting him!’
Even though Zachary was a dishonest trader, he wasn’t a bad person, and it didn’t feel right to exploit him constantly.
Clearing his throat, Charlie began, “Dad, I really think you should limit your dealings with Zachary. He’s quite unscrupulous, and if you keep engaging with him, you might end up with the short end of the stick.”
Jacob scoffed dismissively. “Hush! What do you know? You’re out there fortune telling for those folks, which is a scam! We’re running a serious antique business here! Mind your own business if you’re clueless, and just watch how it unfolds!”