Chapter 150: Charlotte’s Fear

"So that’s it."

She looked at Julian with unconcealed disdain.

"You’re so protective of Isobel that you even accused me of kidnapping her."

Her gaze shifted to Isobel, dripping with contempt.

"It’s because you’re her sugar daddy, isn’t it?"

A sharp gasp echoed through the corridor.

Then another.

Leanne and Kristine stared at Charlotte in utter disbelief, their faces draining of color.

Even the nurses passing by froze in their tracks.

Silence descended over the hallway.

The next second—

"Charlotte!"

Kristoff’s voice shattered the silence like a clap of thunder.

The fury in his tone sent a chill through everyone in the corridor.

Charlotte stood rooted to the spot, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Did...

Did Kristoff just raise his voice at her?

He had never spoken to her like that before.

Not even once.

Julian, however, merely chuckled, treating Charlotte’s accusation as nothing more than a ridiculous joke.

If anything, it reminded him that he had been far too slow in making up for the years he had lost with his daughter.

"Right."

He reached into his wallet and pulled out a sleek platinum card.

Turning to Isobel, he placed it in her hand.

"I got this for you before we came to the hospital this morning."

Isobel instinctively tried to hand it back.

"I can’t accept—"

Before she could finish, Julian gently closed her fingers around the card.

"You’re taking it," he said with mock sternness. "If you refuse, I’ll be upset."

Unsure what to do, Isobel looked toward Leanne for help.

Leanne beamed and nodded enthusiastically.

"Just keep it, sweetheart," she urged warmly. "If Julian says it’s yours, then it’s yours."

Charlotte felt as though her mind had stopped working.

Nothing made sense anymore.

That elegant woman...

She couldn’t possibly be Julian Foster’s wife, could she?

No...

She had to be another relative.

Otherwise...

Why would she smile so happily while Julian openly gave another woman such an expensive card?

Wasn’t she even jealous?

Even more baffling was Kristine.

She didn’t seem surprised by any of it.

Charlotte’s gaze shifted between the four of them, her thoughts spiraling into complete confusion.

Kristoff, too, sensed that something wasn’t right.

The interaction between Julian, Leanne, and Isobel was strangely natural—as though they were a family.

Yet he couldn’t quite put his finger on what felt so off.

Julian glanced at Charlotte one last time before turning away.

"Let’s go," he said casually.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"If I stay here any longer, this unpleasant encounter will ruin my entire day."

Without another look back, he strode toward the elevators.

Isobel, Kristine, and Leanne followed close behind, leaving Charlotte staring after them with an expression of utter bewilderment.

...

Kristoff watched the group disappear down the corridor, his gaze lingering long after they were gone.

A thoughtful look settled over his face.

After a moment, he pulled out his phone and typed a brief message before pressing send.

He needed answers.

He had to find out what Isobel’s relationship with the Foster family really was.

None of this made sense.

Behind him, Charlotte hurried to his side.

"Kristoff," she called anxiously, "did Julian Foster really give Isobel that platinum card? What exactly is her relationship with the Fosters?"

Kristoff remained silent.

Instead of answering, he turned his wheelchair around and slowly headed back into his hospital room.

The doctor had instructed him to stay under observation until the swelling subsided before he could be discharged.

But now...

His mind was no longer on his injuries.

It was entirely occupied by Isobel.

"Isobel..." he murmured under his breath.

Why were both Julian and Morgan so fiercely protective of her?

Charlotte frowned.

"What did you say, Kristoff?"

He didn’t answer. Instead, another thought surfaced in his mind.

When Charlotte had accused Julian of being Isobel’s sugar daddy...

Why hadn’t Isobel denied it? She had remained silent from beginning to end.

A crease formed between Kristoff’s brows. Was she simply too shocked to respond?

Or...

Was there another reason?

The question lingered in his mind, refusing to let go.

...

Ignoring Charlotte completely, Kristoff replayed the day’s events in his mind.

Julian’s unmistakable tenderness whenever he looked at Isobel.

Leanne’s unwavering protectiveness.

Kristine’s warm, genuine smile whenever she spoke to her.

None of it felt forced. None of it looked like an act.

It was the kind of affection that could only come from people who truly cared.

A thought quietly surfaced in Kristoff’s mind.

Impossible.

...Was Isobel actually a member of the Foster family?

The thought surfaced so suddenly that even Kristoff found it absurd.

He slowly shook his head.

No.

That couldn’t be possible.

Everyone knew Julian Foster’s family.

He was famous not only for his business empire but also for his unwavering devotion to his wife. Throughout the years, there had never been a single rumor of an affair or an illegitimate child.

As far as the public knew, Julian had only two children—a son and a daughter.

So how could Isobel possibly be related to the Fosters?

Yet...

If he had to choose between the two possibilities, he would rather believe that Isobel was somehow connected to the Foster family than believe she was Morgan’s mistress.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, the latter simply didn’t sit right with him.

"Kris..."

Charlotte’s sweet, coquettish voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"You’ve been spacing out."

She slipped her hand into his and gently guided it to rest against her chest, right above the steady beat of her heart.

Her eyes glistened with grievance as she looked at him.

"You’ve changed, Kristoff."

Charlotte’s voice quivered, fragile enough to tug at anyone’s heart.

She held his hand against her chest as if hoping he could still feel how desperately her heart beat for him.

Tears shimmered in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment.

"I miss the old you..."

She forced a bittersweet smile, though it quickly crumbled.

"The Kristoff who was always gentle with me... the one whose eyes followed me wherever I went."

Her fingers tightened around his hand.

"Can you bring him back?"

The plea was barely above a whisper. Yet it echoed painfully in Kristoff’s heart. A wave of guilt washed over him.

For years, Charlotte had occupied every corner of his heart.

She had never needed to compete with anyone for his attention.

But now...

"I haven’t changed, Charlotte."

Kristoff’s voice was low and restrained.

"I’m still the same person."

The words left his mouth, but even he couldn’t believe them.

They sounded hollow. Like a lie he was trying to convince himself of.

Charlotte lowered her eyes, hiding the storm brewing within them.

She knew.

No matter how many times Kristoff denied it, she knew the truth.

He had fallen for Isobel. Perhaps he hadn’t realized it yet. Perhaps he was still fighting it.

But Charlotte could see the subtle changes—the way his attention unconsciously drifted toward Isobel, the way he defended her without thinking, the way he questioned everything whenever she was involved.

Every one of those changes filled Charlotte with dread.