Chapter 328 Schemes
"Not even interested in clandestine assistance?" Charles declined further conversation. "Dream pursuit and financial gain are not at odds."
Austin clenched his fist. If Charles hadn't made a good point, he would've punched him.
"You talk like you're a genius." Now that Austin knew the way, he didn't care about offending Charles. "Remember your divorce from Daphne because of Kayla?"
"And then?" Charles asked calmly.
"I remember someone regretting it like crazy," Austin snorted.
Charles looked at his smug face and said slowly, "Mind your manners. If I become displeased, Daisy might learn about your activities. You wouldn't prefer that outcome, would you?"
"And another thing," Charles added, feeling triumphant. "I did regret it, but now Daphne's let me stay at her place."
"Impossible!" Austin blurted out.
He didn't know Daphne well, but he knew she wouldn't take someone back after being deceived. How could she let Charles stay over?
Pleased with Austin's response, Charles retrieved his phone. He displayed a recent photo of Daphne to Austin.
Austin frowned. The house wasn't Charles's, and it couldn't be an old photo. Why would Daphne let Charles stay over? It didn't add up.
"If you don't believe me, I can call her," Charles said, pushing Austin's buttons.
"Call." Austin challenged.
Charles dialed Daphne's number. She was out with Lydia, Benjamin, and Lydia's boyfriend. Seeing Charles's call, she stepped aside to answer, "Hello."
Austin was surprised by her gentle tone. 'Wasn't she supposed to be distant and cold?' He thought.
"Daphne, Austin doesn't believe I'm staying at your place," Charles said, stirring the pot. "He made me call you."
Daphne was in a tough spot. Admitting Charles was staying with her could lead to misunderstandings. Denying it might make Charles twist things.
Austin was already confused. Daphne didn't refute or sound cold.
"Yes," Daphne responded lightly.
Charles asked, "What are you doing now?"
"Shopping with Lydia and the others," she replied.
"Alright, enjoy. I won't disturb you," Charles said.
"Okay," Daphne said and hung up.
Initially eager to confront Charles, Austin now found himself in need of his assistance. "How did you manage to establish such a strong rapport with Daphne? Could you share your secret with me?"
Charles refused without hesitation, "No. Mind your own business; I have things to do."
After that, Charles stood up and left, not caring about Austin's reaction.
Charles remembered Daphne mentioning Lydia and others, which meant more people were with her. He wondered if Benjamin was among them.
Daphne continued shopping with Lydia and the others. The two sisters walked in the middle, with Benjamin and Nick trailing behind.
"Daphne, who called you?" Lydia asked while browsing.
"Charles," Daphne replied.
"Didn't he go back? Why is he calling you?" Lydia was annoyed with her former brother-in-law. If he hadn't been mentally like a five-year-old before, she would've punched him!
Daphne casually explained the situation since it wasn't a secret.
Lydia got agitated. "He's doing it on purpose!"
"On purpose for what?" Daphne asked.
"To create misunderstandings," Lydia said earnestly. "You didn't deny or confirm anything, and your tone was nice. People might think you're getting back together."
"It's fine," Daphne said, dismissing it. As long as the Lancelot family didn't misunderstand, it was a minor issue.
But Lydia was still anxious. "Daphne!"
"It's fine. If he's doing it on purpose, he'll just embarrass himself. I never said I was getting back together with him," Daphne said calmly.
From past experiences, she knew Charles was now quite scheming. Unlike before, when he was thorough and thoughtful, now he seemed more like someone who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
Honestly, Daphne was a bit surprised when Charles confessed those things. His confession was like admitting he wasn't a simple person but someone with excellent acting skills and deep schemes. For him, it was a risky move.
"You should still be careful with him," Lydia warned.
"Don't worry," Daphne said, gently rubbing her head. "I know what I'm doing."
Lydia didn't say more. Daphne had always been smart, and she had to trust her.
After shopping for a while, they found a restaurant for dinner. Lydia and Nick sat together, while Daphne and Benjamin sat together. Daphne and Lydia were sitting opposite each other.
"By the way," Lydia suddenly remembered, "Grandpa called me a few days ago. He wants us to have lunch at his place on Christmas. He was worried you might be too busy, so he asked me to tell you."
"I probably can't make it," Daphne said.
"Why not?" Lydia asked, puzzled.
"I promised Benjamin to pretend to be his girlfriend and go to his house that day," Daphne said directly. "Tell Grandpa, and I'll visit him later."
Lydia's eyes lit up with excitement. "No problem, I'll handle Grandpa. You just go to Benjamin's house."
"Don't misunderstand," Daphne said.
"Misunderstand what?" Lydia asked.
"Benjamin's family is pressuring him to get married, so I'm pretending to be his girlfriend to help him out," Daphne explained seriously. She knew Lydia wanted to set her up with Benjamin.
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