Chapter 80 Charles's Suspicions
She kept it brief, not wanting to burden Daphne with her worries. Putting on a cheery tone, she chatted, "Honestly, I never would've guessed Charles was the man you eloped with. It's quite the twist."
Daphne's concern flickered at her words.
Evan noticed and inquired，"What's up?"
"She's married to Austin," Daphne said slowly, her gaze still fixed on her phone screen. "However, she changed the subject quickly. Seems like she'd rather not delve into it."
They exchanged a few more messages, and upon learning she was in Rex's car, the conversation died down.
At the end, Daphne just reminded her. "Remember, you've got me."
"Are you finalizing the divorce with Charles at the end of the month?" Evan calculated the days before asking.
A faint "Yeah," came from Daphne.
"Call me when it's settled. I'll book your a flight back to Gedser." Evan's kindness toward Daphne was like that of a protective older brother from next door.
"Have you wrapped up your business in Ivrea City?" Daphne glanced at him.
"Yeah."
With that, she accepted his offer without protest. Evan drove her home and only left after making sure she was safely inside, then he headed back to his hotel.
Meanwhile, Charles wasn't returning to Queens Villa; he went straight to the hospital where Kayla was staying.
Upon seeing him, hope filled Kayla's eyes. Sitting up from her bed, she called out tenderly,"Charles."
"I've scheduled a full check-up for you." Charles said, holding the doctor's orders, his expression clear and deep. "Let's get those tests done now."
Kayla stiffened for a moment but quickly composed herself. "Okay."
Charles waited with the orders at the door, not coming over to take her hand, which made Kayla feel a pang of discomfort, guessing he might still be upset about the other night.
"Charles?"
"What is it?"
"Are you still upset with me about that night?" Kayla asked, her voice laden with a hint of distress.
Charles paused, then replied calmly. "No, don't overthink it. Let's just focus on the check-up."
"Okay," Kayla murmured, looking down.
The comprehensive examination was completed. When it came to the stomach test, Kayla hesitated at the door, dragging her feet.
Charles's gaze darkened, a tinge of emotion was in his voice,"Why aren't you going in?"
"Can I skip this test?" Kayla bit her lip, her eyes showing her aversion. "I'm scared."
"It's a capsule endoscopy, it won't hurt," Charles explained, his suspicions growing. "You can trust it'll be fine."
Kayla remained still.
Charles just watched her.
After a standoff, tears welled up in Kayla's eyes and began to fall uncontrollably,"I really don't want to do this. It reminds me of the hardships I faced getting treatment abroad, Charles, I..."
She broke down, unable to continue as tears fell like pearls without a string.
Charles's gaze deepened as he patted her shoulder, no longer pushing,"If you don't want to do it, then don't. Let's finish the other tests."
Kayla continued to cry.
It took another couple of hours before all her tests were completed.
Charles arranged her discharge and sent her home, reminding her,"I'll find someone to take care of your meals tomorrow. You need to recover after the miscarriage."
"No need!" Kayla quickly refused, then realizing her reaction was too strong, she added,"I prefer being alone."
Having heard this, Charles didn't insist anymore. He watched her ascend the stairs before driving off to the company.
When Mark saw him, he greeted,"Boss."
"How's the investigation going?" Charles asked as he entered the CEO's office.
Mark looked puzzled.
Noticing his confusion, Charles's eyes hardened,"Forgotten?"
Mark wouldn't dare admit to forgetting. He scrambled his thoughts and finally remembered the late-night call. He replied smoothly,"Not at all, just tied up with arrangements this morning. I haven't started on it yet."
He couldn't be blamed; most things told to him half-asleep were forgotten by morning.
"Delegate your current tasks to the secretaries," Charles didn't expose him,"Focus on what I asked you to look into."
"Right away," Mark agreed promptly.
As he was about to leave, Charles called him back into the office. He hung his suit jacket on the chair, the stark white of his shirt making him look even more austere,"Send me Kayla's medical records from abroad, including the surgeons and assistants involved."
"Will do," Mark responded quickly.
Just as he was leaving, a thought struck him, and he paused.
Charles loosened his tie, his handsome features unchanging,"Something else?"
"You're checking Miss Baker's records to verify her stomach cancer, right?" Mark ventured.
Charles was forthright,"Yes."
"There's an easier way," Mark stepped forward, the picture of composure,"Surgical scars, whether from traditional or minimally invasive surgery, can't be completely erased."
In other words, checking Miss Baker's abdomen would suffice.
Charles's brows furrowed, his first thought was that it would be inappropriate and potentially dishonor Kayla.
"Eventually, you'll marry Miss Baker; a glance at her abdomen shouldn't matter," Mark said, as if reading his thoughts.
"Proceed with the investigation," Charles indirectly dismissed the suggestion.
After Mark left, his eyes revealed a knowing glint. He was certain the boss had always fancied Miss Murphy, mistaking past rejection for affection.
It looked like he'd be busy after the divorce, perhaps even transferring his work to Gedser's branch.
He left the office swiftly, delegating tasks to his assistants. It was Sunday, after all, and even for someone like him, it wasn't a typical workday. Charles, however, soon found himself caught up in his work. Weekends and holidays often blurred into regular days for executives like him. He was reviewing documents when his phone buzzed. He didn't look at it until he finished his work.
The message on the screen was a shock, photos of Kayla with another man and a message that read, "Charles, Kayla has been deceiving you."
The sender was anonymous. Charles called the number immediately, but it was disconnected. After a moment of thought, he grabbed his coat and headed to Kayla's place.
Kayla was on a tense call. "I didn't think he'd believe Rex more than me," she said, scared.
"You know what happens if you ruin my plans," the caller warned.
Tears spilled over as the doorbell rang. Her heart pounded as she ended the call, cleared the log, and composed herself. She had to keep her secrets from whoever was at the door.
Charles stood there when she opened the door. She feigned shock, "Charles! What's up?"
"We need to talk," he said, documents in hand.
"Come in," she offered, presenting unused slippers. "Want a drink?"
"No, let's talk," he said, his gaze cool.
"What about?" Kayla asked, nervous.
"I'll give you a chance. Are you hiding something?" Charles asked.
"Why?" Kayla played innocent. "Did something happen?"
"Just thinking about honesty," he said. "I'm tired of lies."
"Even if the world lies, I won't," she assured him.
He just hummed, keeping his thoughts hidden.
The room went quiet.
"Once I'm divorced, we'll marry," Charles said casually. "Did you see anyone while we were apart?"
Kayla faltered. "No," she insisted. "After my diagnosis, I couldn't." He showed her the photo on his phone. She was speechless.
"What's this?" he asked, offering her a chance to explain. "I don't know him," she said, panicked.
"Is that so?" Charles pressed.
"Believe me, it's a setup," she said, blaming Daphne.
Charles laid the documents on the table. "I hate lies," he declared.
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