Chapter 427 Accomplice
Charles agreed so quickly that Diana almost thought she had misheard him.
She pinched herself, and the pain confirmed it wasn't a dream.
Benjamin's heart warmed at the thought of them making a cake together for him. His eyes sparkled as he took a couple of steps forward, arms wide open, ready to give Charles a big hug.
But in the next second, Charles pushed his head away with two fingers, looking disgusted. "Stay where you are."
Benjamin pouted, and the idea of a hug vanished completely.
Charles closed the lunchbox and checked the time. "It's getting late. You two should head home."
Diana took the lunchbox, a bit speechless. It was only 1 PM, hardly late.
She tentatively asked, "The weather's nice today. Can I take Benjamin to the botanical garden? I heard the tulips are in bloom."
It wasn't about seeing the flowers; it was about getting permission to go out. If he agreed this time, it meant they could go out again in the future.
Benjamin caught on quickly and chimed in, "Yeah, yeah! I haven't been out in ages. I'm going stir-crazy at home."
Charles' face remained calm, lost in thought.
He didn't really want Diana to go out; keeping her at home gave him a sense of security.
But today, she had brought Benjamin along to deliver lunch, and the two of them seemed harmonious.
After a moment of contemplation, Charles finally gave the answer they were hoping for. "Be back before dinner. I'll be home tonight."
"Yay!" Benjamin shouted excitedly, hugging Charles' leg tightly like a koala.
Charles, looking slightly annoyed, pushed him away and repeated, "Go on."
Soon, the two of them left the CEO's office, still wearing their masks.
Nolan saw them and, following the usual procedure, escorted them downstairs.
This time, Claire, sitting at her desk, secretly took a photo with her phone.
At the Percy Manor.
Elise held a few sheets of letter paper, gripping the edges so tightly she nearly tore them.
After reading them, she crumpled them up in frustration and threw them into the trash can.
A knock came from the door, and the butler's respectful voice followed. "Mrs. Percy, Ms. Murphy is here."
"Tell her I'm not feeling well and can't see her."
Elise rubbed her temples, clearly in a bad mood.
The butler hesitated, then said, "But Ms. Murphy insists she has something important to discuss with you."
"I said no! Can't I make decisions in my own house?" Elise's voice was sharp as she picked up a nearby cup and threw it to the ground.
Fortunately, the cup was sturdy and the carpet cushioned the fall, so it rolled to the door.
The next moment, the door opened.
Claire stood there with a serious expression. "Aunt Elise, why won't you see me?"
The butler, looking flustered, had tried to keep Claire downstairs for tea, but she had slipped away and barged into Elise's room.
She grabbed Claire's arm, pleading, "Ms. Murphy, Mrs. Percy is not in a good mood. Please leave."
Claire shook her off and picked up the cup, placing it back on the table. "Aunt Elise, a young woman and a child visited Charles today. Do you know who they are?"
Elise, already irritated, became even more annoyed by Claire's questioning. She frowned and looked up at Claire, her presence undiminished.
"Claire, you've become increasingly disrespectful over the years. Is this how you talk to me?"
Claire's face turned serious.
A few years ago, she might have played the role of the gentle niece, but since they had conspired to harm Diana, their relationship had become complicated.
They had gone from relatives to accomplices.
With this new dynamic, Claire no longer bothered with pretense. "Aunt Elise, I don't want to waste time. You didn't want Diana's child to be born, and I came up with the plan. You promised that if it worked, you'd help me marry Charles."
"But what happened? I've been his secretary for five years and got nothing!"
Claire grew angrier as she spoke.
She had come all the way from the South to Evergreen City to marry Charles.
Elise's plan had succeeded, but what about her?
She had gained nothing but the ability to slack off at work due to her position.
Initially, people speculated that Charles might end up with her after losing his wife, but those rumors were quickly dispelled when he started dating a celebrity.
Now, her parents were pressuring her to return home, but Claire refused.
Her feelings for Charles had turned from love to a fierce possessiveness. She couldn't let anyone else have him.
"I can't control his mind. If you've made no progress in all these years, maybe you should reflect on yourself," Elise sneered, her words stabbing at Claire's heart.
But then she seemed to remember something and, after a moment of silence, said, "Fine, no need to mock you. What did the woman and child look like?"
Claire, though angry, held back for the sake of the matter at hand.
She pulled out her phone and showed a photo from her album.
In the picture, a woman and a child held hands, their faces unclear but their closeness evident.
"Who are they?" Claire asked, frowning.
Elise glanced at the photo and had a suspicion. It was probably her fake grandson.
But surprisingly, Charles hadn't discovered his identity and was keeping him around?
As for the woman in the photo, Elise didn't recognize her but felt a strange familiarity.
"I don't know. The photo doesn't even show their faces. Do you think I'm a detective?"
Claire put her phone away, scrutinizing Elise's face.
Her aunt was shrewd. Surely, she had informants at the Percy Mansion and knew who these people were.
As Claire speculated, Elise spoke up. "I don't know who they are, but don't they look like mother and son? Maybe it's Charles' illegitimate child. After all, he himself is an illegitimate child, so it's not surprising he'd have one."
"Aunt Elise, your words are so harsh. I think you've been losing your mind since Zachary passed away, spouting nonsense. You should rest. I won't bother you anymore."
Hearing Elise insult Charles' background, Claire's anger flared. She lashed out at Elise and quickly left.
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