Charlotte stared at Zachary, her mind a chaotic whirlwind.

How did he reach that conclusion? How could he possibly think Michael is the father? Yet, she realized with a sinking heart that it made a twisted kind of sense. The children were currently with Michael, and she had gone to extraordinary lengths to hide their existence from Zachary. If they were his, why would she keep them a secret? To a man like him, there was no logical reason.

Then there was Michael himself—arriving with his entire family to plead for her. To any outsider, their bond clearly transcended a simple friendship.

"Did I guess correctly?"

Zachary’s hands trembled, a rare sign of the anxiety gnawing at his soul. His eyes were a turbulent sea of betrayal and hurt. Charlotte remained silent—she neither admitted nor denied it. Part of her felt this was for the best; if he believed the children weren't his, the secret was safe for a little longer. But she worried that this lie would become a crushing burden for Michael to bear.

Just as her imagination began to run wild, Ben’s voice drifted in from the hallway again. "Mr. Nacht, Mr. Brown is on the line..."

"GET OUT!"

Zachary’s roar was that of an enraged lion, vibrating through the walls and making the very air feel heavy with terror. Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut, shivering. In his current state, she felt as though he might snap her neck at any moment.

"Charlotte Windt!" It was the first time he had ever spat out her full name with such venom.

"You are truly unbelievable," he snarled through gritted teeth, his face inches from hers. "You’ve led me in circles this entire time!"

"You lied to me. You told me you’d had a miscarriage, told me it was your first time... you even claimed I was the only man you’d ever had. Damn it, you even manipulated me into acting as a 'gigolo' just so you could squeeze compensation out of me!"

"F*ck! Every cent you tricked out of me has been used to raise those three bastards!"

"Shut up!" Charlotte interrupted, her own anger flaring. "Don't you dare speak of my children like that!"

They’re your children too! she screamed internally. How can you call your own flesh and blood bastards?

"So what if I said it?" Zachary’s hand came up, not in a slap, but in a mocking, heavy-handed pat against her cheeks. "I underestimated you, Charlotte. I thought you were as pure as driven snow. It turns out that mother-daughter duo was right about you all along. You really are just a slut."

"You..."

"First there’s Michael, then Hector... who else? How many men have there been?"

His hand struck harder with each word until Charlotte’s cheeks were a flaming, painful red.

"What does it have to do with you?" Outraged, Charlotte shoved his hand away. "From the very beginning, all I wanted was for you to pay the compensation and leave me alone! I told you I had a boyfriend, but you were too arrogant to believe me!"

Before she could finish, Zachary’s hand clamped around her throat, pinning her back against the bed. He let out a primal roar, his eyes bloodshot with a madness that bordered on the demonic.

"Do you think having Michael in your corner makes you free of me? Don't forget that contract you signed. You belong to me—every inch of your skin, every breath you take!"

"Let me go, you crazy assh*le!" Charlotte struggled vehemently, her nails clawing at his wrists.

"Let you go? I’m afraid it’s not that easy." The more he thought about her "betrayal," the more the rage consumed him. "From this moment on, you are nothing but a despicable slave. I will toy with you and torment you exactly as I please!"

In a fit of blind fury, he tore the bedsheets into strips and bound her to the bedposts.

"Assh*le! Animal! Beast—"

Her insults were cut short as he stuffed a cloth into her mouth. She could only stare daggers at him, her eyes burning with a mixture of hatred and tears.

"Keep glaring at me and I’ll dig those eyes right out of your head!" Zachary pointed a trembling finger at her.

Charlotte finally looked away, the first hot tears rolling down her bruised cheeks. Zachary slammed a frustrated kick into the side of the bed before storming out, the door nearly flying off its hinges.

"Mr... Mr. Nacht," Ben stammered as Zachary emerged. "James and Michael are still waiting outside."

"Let them wait," Zachary scowled, his voice a low, lethal rumble. "Let them rot."