Chapter 633 The Phone Call Louis Heard
Peyton paused for a moment when she heard the name on the other end of the line. "I don't believe it," she finally said.
Peyton thought, 'No way Charles went to see Daphne. That's just not possible!'
"Come on, if you want to blow me off, you don't have to make up such a lame excuse," Peyton's voice was emotional but still pleasant. "I know you too well. How could you go see Daphne?"
"If you don't believe me, I'll let her talk to you," Charles said, clearly determined.
"Fine," Peyton replied shortly.
Charles handed the phone to Daphne, his lips barely moving as he said, "Say something."
"Say what?" Daphne looked confused. She had no idea who was on the other end.
Charles didn't answer, just took the phone back and said to Peyton, "Did you hear that?"
Peyton was silent for a long time. The only indication that the call was still connected was the faint sound of her breathing.
"I've got stuff to do, so I'm hanging up now," Charles said, his tone unchanged, and he quickly ended the call.
Daphne asked, "Your mom?"
"Yeah," Charles answered vaguely.
Charles knew that if Daphne found out it wasn't his mother but Peyton on the other end, she might try to explain things to Peyton.
From their brief chat, Charles had gathered that Daphne didn't want him staying single because of her. Therefore, he saw no need to let her know that it was Peyton calling.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Daphne asked. She liked Laura because Laura had always been nice to her. "I didn't even get to say hi."
"It's fine," Charles replied casually. Then he added, "When Louis and Diana are on their next vacation, can I take them to Ivrea City?"
"Ask them," Daphne said. "If they want to go, it's up to you."
A hint of softness appeared in Charles's eyes. "Thank you."
Charles felt a wave of gratitude. 'Thank you for your trust and not pushing me away,' he thought."If you have time, go out and meet some new people," Daphne suggested, hinting that he should start dating. "There are lots of nice girls out there."
"Okay," Charles agreed, though he had no intention of actually doing it.
"It's getting late. You should get some sleep," Daphne said, not knowing what else to talk about. She wasn't great at small talk.
Charles didn't push the conversation, simply replying, "Okay."
They both went upstairs to their rooms.
As Daphne closed her door, a complex emotion flashed in Charles's eyes. He finally pushed his feelings down and went into his own room.
As soon as he walked in, his phone buzzed twice. It was a message from Peyton: [Call me back when you're done talking to her.]
Seeing this, Charles dialed the number; some things needed to be cleared up.
"Are you done talking?" Peyton's voice was a mix of softness and detachment.
"Yeah," Charles's tone was noticeably colder than when he spoke to Daphne.
"Why did you go see her?" Peyton asked, sounding more curious than upset. "Didn't you tell Laura you had no contact with her?"
"Not having contact before doesn't mean no contact now," Charles said, standing by the balcony, his voice colder than usual. "Maybe I didn't make things clear to you today..."
"Don't say it!" Peyton cut him off sharply.
Charles, almost emotionless, said, "Peyton."
"I don't want to hear it," Peyton insisted. "You said you wouldn't interfere with my feelings for you anymore."
"I'm not interfering; I'm just making my thoughts clear to you," Charles replied, cold but not cruel.
Peyton went silent.
Charles laid it out plainly, "I will never love you in this lifetime."
"I know," Peyton said. She had known for a long time, but she didn't believe it. She thought that with enough determination, she could win him over.
"I don't need you to love me, and I don't need to be the only one in your heart," Peyton said, trying to sound relaxed. "How about a marriage of convenience? After we get married, I won't interfere with your life; you can do whatever you want."
"Peyton," Charles said, clearly against the idea.
Peyton pressed on, "Laura and the others are worried about your marriage."
"I'll explain it to them," Charles said firmly, his deep-set eyes unreadable. "I don't want to repeat the mistakes of the past. A marriage in name only has no reason to exist."
This time, Peyton didn't respond.
Charles's thin lips parted, and he said something that cut her deeply, "I've always loved Daphne, I love her now, and I always will."
"She's already married," Peyton said.
"I know," Charles replied, his tone steady but filled with a quiet resignation. He would never let Daphne know his feelings, nor would he let her sense it.
For a moment, there was silence between them, the weight of his words hanging in the air. Peyton's mood visibly dropped, even through the phone.
Charles could sense the pain in her voice. In the past, when he rejected Peyton, she still pursued him, and he didn't care, thinking she would give up eventually. But now, with Mark and Austin asking about his relationship with Peyton, it was time for Charles to completely cut off Peyton's hopes.
Louis, standing on his balcony next door, overheard the conversation through the thin walls. A complex emotion flashed in his eyes. Did Charles still love Daphne? The thought lingered as he gazed into the darkness, pondering the implications of what he had just heard.
Meanwhile, on Daphne's side, after returning to her room, she was pulled onto the bed by Benjamin.
Looking at Benjamin, who didn't ask a single question and just held her to sleep, Daphne suddenly felt curious. "Aren't you going to ask?"
"Ask what?" Benjamin raised an eyebrow.
"What Charles and I talked about," Daphne said.
She felt that Benjamin didn't seem to get jealous. No matter what she did or who she was with, he didn't seem to ask too many questions.
"If I'm not mistaken, the first thing he asked after I left was whether I treated you well," Benjamin said, holding her gently, his lazy voice carrying a hint of depth.
Daphne paused, he was spot on.
Benjamin looked into her eyes and said, "You aren't good at chatting, and Charles doesn't have the courage to chat. No need to guess."
Besides, Daphne was too honest, so Benjamin could be completely at ease.
"Alright," Daphne said, giving a perfunctory response.
"You're not happy that I don't ask?" Benjamin pinched her soft cheek, smiling slightly.
"It's not that I'm unhappy, it just feels weird," Daphne said, pushing his hand away. She had become more assertive after marriage. "In a normal married relationship, most would refuse without hesitation if an ex-husband wanted to make their daughter his goddaughter."
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