Misunderstandings, True Feelings, and Doubts (Prologue 6) 2,5K Words

In the living room

"Excuse me, young master," a voice from the young maid rang out.

"Miss Charlotte has arrived and is now in the waiting room."

The voice at the living room door instantly roused Zayn, who had been sitting on the sofa, engrossed in his smartphone.

Zayn redirected his attention toward the maid and offered a gentle smile.

"Very well, please have her come in; I'm looking forward to her arrival," Zayn responded casually, awaiting Charlotte's entrance.

As the young maid accidentally caught sight of Zayn's exceptionally handsome face, complete with a gentle smile, her cheeks flushed, and her face warmed with a blush.

"Young master is so handsome! Ahh, he's smiling at me!" She couldn't help but get lost in his charming smile.

"Is there anything else you wish to express?" Zayn's puzzled tone quickly snapped her back to reality.

"O-Oh, yes, young master, as you wish!" The young maid felt extremely embarrassed and promptly bowed to Zayn before scurrying off in haste.

Zayn merely chuckled and shook his head.

Due to his handsome appearance, he had grown accustomed to such attention and treated it as part of his daily life.

From elementary school to university, he had consistently attracted the interest of women who seemed eager to pursue him.

Fortunately, Luna, who had always been there for him, shielded him from those who sought to undermine him.

Furthermore, Luna was so stunning that they couldn't easily dismiss her.

Reflecting on these memories, he felt a sense of nostalgia and whispered, "I'll set things right, Luna."

...

"Tuk-tuk tuk," the sound of heels, echoed through the hallway, catching Zayn's attention.

He watched as an exquisitely beautiful woman, wearing an icy expression, approached the living room.

Zayn readily acknowledged Charlotte's remarkable beauty.

Her status as the second most beautiful woman in the capital, just behind Luna, was not an exaggeration.

Though he had met her on numerous occasions, whether for business collaborations or to enhance their personal relationship, he never grew tired of admiring her unique features.

Her facial symmetry was impeccable; she had a petite yet finely chiseled nose, long black hair cascading down to her waist, and the pink headband perched atop her head added a striking contrast to her cold countenance.

Her loose black sweater couldn't conceal the contours of her shapely breasts.

However, what truly set her apart were her incredibly long legs.

Zayn readily admitted that Charlotte was the tallest among the women he was close to; she likely stood half a head taller than Mira.

When it came to Luna, she might be slightly shorter than Charlotte, but Zayn hadn't seen her in a long time, and she was currently abroad, so he couldn't make a direct comparison.

Her red eyes looked exceptionally beautiful, akin to finely crafted gemstones.

"Wait! Did she have red eyes? Since when? Weren't her eyes brown?" Zayn was left dumbfounded and perplexed.

Was she wearing soft red contact lenses? But they didn't appear to be soft lenses.

Moreover, there was something about those red eyes that felt very familiar, particularly in combination with the pink headband, which began to trigger memories of a certain little girl...

Though, in his recollection, the girl's face was somewhat less distinct.

Soon, it was Charlotte who entered the living room, her gaze fixed on Zayn with a bewildered expression.

The sight of such a handsome face quickened her heartbeats, and her cheeks flushed rapidly.

It was hard to tell if it was from embarrassment or the exhilaration of being in the presence of the person she loved the most.

That handsome face bore a striking resemblance to the boy who had rescued her as a child, creating an intense obsession within her.

Although she had crossed paths with him on several occasions, in the past, she had been unable to articulate her feelings for the person she loved most.

Now, she was determined not to be the same as before.

She would confess her true emotions and make him hers.

No one could take him away from her!

Upon noticing Charlotte's gaze, Zayn experienced an inexplicable chill, and goosebumps rose on his skin.

He sensed that she was on the verge of devouring him, and the gaze he received felt strangely familiar, reminiscent of the way Luna used to look at him in the past.

He still had a clear memory of Luna's gaze at him, especially since Luna was with him almost every hour back then!

How could he ever forget?

Nevertheless, he reasoned, she couldn't have detested the engagement with him that much, could she?

Either it was merely his perception, or she concealed her emotions so masterfully that he couldn't detect a hint of them.

If it was the former, Zayn regarded it as quite normal.

However, if it were the latter, it would imply that Charlotte was so enigmatic that even he couldn't discern her true feelings.

In his heart, he leaned more toward the former.

Little did he know, his overconfidence in his talent and capabilities, which had led him to lower his guard around Charlotte, would eventually culminate in a frightening incident in the future.

"Welcome, Miss Charlotte Bailey. Please, take a seat." Zayn swiftly set aside his contemplations and rose to greet Charlotte with his customary warmth.

However, his expression and words held a certain aloofness.

After all, he used to address her without the title "Miss" and her surname.

But now, their engagement had been dissolved, and it seemed reasonable to him that their familiarity should wane.

Naturally, politeness remained paramount; she was his guest, and there had been no animosity in their relationship.

Even though she consistently rebuffed his advances, it was her prerogative, and he couldn't compel a woman to yield to him solely because of his attractiveness and his status as the heir of the capital's premier family, as it went against his principles.

Furthermore, his awareness that her parents had only adopted her and had used her as a tool for their family's advantage evoked his sympathy for her.

Perhaps her aloofness could be traced back to her gloomy childhood in the Bailey family and her parents' lack of affection.

How could he know?

It was, after all, a rather common scenario.

Even if she had risen to become the head of the entire Bailey family business empire, bringing honor to her family, her status as an outsider within the Bailey family would likely never change.

So, had she come here to request his assistance in maintaining her position as the president of the Bailey family company?

It was a possibility, but the image of her gaze from earlier lingered in his mind.

Zayn mulled over and speculated about the different scenarios that could explain Charlotte's visit.

Charlotte, who was all smiles, appeared unfazed by Zayn's apparent distance.

She either genuinely didn't notice or was skillfully pretending not to...

Nevertheless, her eyes appeared to have lost some of their luster.

Before long, Charlotte straightened up and directed a charming smile at Zayn.

Her red eyes exuded an entirely different warmth compared to when they had been engaged.

If the people of the capital were to witness Charlotte smiling so softly, they would likely be so astounded that they might faint!

Her gentle gaze left Zayn feeling bewildered, as he had grown accustomed to witnessing her cold and indifferent countenance during their time together.

"Did she take the wrong medicine today?" Zayn playfully mused.

However, he quickly snapped out of his reverie, and his eyes cleared.

With a smile, he softly inquired of Charlotte, "How have you been, Miss Charlotte?"

Despite having messaged her the previous day about scheduling a date for the day after tomorrow, he chose to initiate the conversation this way.

Asking about the purpose of her visit immediately after she had just arrived might come across as impolite and imply that he wanted her to leave right away.

Even if that was his intention, he was curious about how she would address the dissolution of their engagement.

Today was the day they needed to decide whether they could still maintain a friendship or not.

Naturally, he hoped they could continue being friends and maintain open communication; she was, after all, a business genius, and fostering a positive relationship with her was advantageous.

"I'm doing well, Zayn! Hehe, are you concerned about me?" Charlotte playfully responded to Zayn's question, closing her lips as she let out a giggle.

Her eyes resembled crescent moons, radiating her delight.

"It seems the engagement dissolution was just a ruse! Hehe~ Zayn still cares for me and loves me~" Charlotte entertained wild thoughts, all from Zayn's ordinary inquiry.

Zayn's mouth twitched at the corner, and he found himself utterly taken aback by the woman in front of him.

What on earth? Charlotte, who had always been cold and indifferent to him, was actually displaying such coquettish behavior towards him?

Had she been drinking on her way here?

But he couldn't detect the scent of alcohol on her.

Zayn was truly bewildered and regarded Charlotte before him as if she were no longer Charlotte, whom he knew.

"Yes, I was concerned about you, Miss Charlotte," Zayn replied with politeness.

Responding with "I'm not concerned about you" would, naturally, be rude.

Upon hearing his response, Charlotte's heart swelled with joy, and she felt a warm sensation within.

She seemed as if she were in heaven!

She regretted her inability to express her true emotions while they were dating.

If she had, they might have shared kisses and embraces.

"It's my fault for not conveying my true feelings!"

"Hmm, but I'll rectify that now, and we'll love each other!" A jubilant Charlotte began contemplating their shared future.

A smiling Zayn remained oblivious to Charlotte's fervent thoughts about him.

If he had known, he would likely have been quite startled.

"Hehehe~" Charlotte flashed a charming smile in response to Zayn's reply!

He would quickly acclimate to Charlotte's transformed behavior and cease to be surprised by it.

He promptly inquired, "Did you come to my mansion tonight for something of great importance?" Zayn asked with a soft smile.

Despite no longer being a couple, he saw no reason to be impolite to Charlotte.

"Oh, it's definitely something very important," Charlotte responded with enthusiasm.

"I received word that our engagement had been called off, and I wanted to verify it with you, Zayn! However, it appears that it's not true, and you still care for me deeply, don't you?" Charlotte giggled and felt a great sense of relief as she concluded this.

Initially, she had been quite anxious and had even considered tying Zayn up and confining him in a room with just the two of them.

However, it seemed her concerns were unfounded.

After all, if their family collaboration had ended, it wasn't connected to their engagement, was it?

Charlotte was overjoyed and couldn't wait to kiss Zayn's enticing lips!

At this moment, Zayn was so flabbergasted that he felt like he might lose his mind.

What on earth was going on with this woman? Was she unwell?

How could she entertain such thoughts?

She couldn't have been fond of their engagement, right?

Her habitual indifference toward him was evidence of that.

Had he been mistaken all this time?

Zayn's head was pounding as he grappled with the stark contrast between his expectations and the reality before him.

Despite his usual intelligence and discernment, he felt utterly foolish in the presence of the woman in front of him.

All of this stemmed from his lack of understanding of Charlotte's true nature.

Their families' collaboration solely led to their connection through the engagement.

Initially, Zayn didn't truly invest in the relationship and simply went along with the status quo.

That was the extent of his efforts for her, whether it involved going on dates or inquiring about her well-being.

Her indifference had reduced his inclination to form a deeper connection with her.

However, her evident affection left him somewhat perturbed.

He found himself at a loss for words, apprehensive about potentially hurting Charlotte's feelings.

Zayn was quite tender with those close to him, even though she was no longer his fiancée, but he struggled with conveying the truth.

Nevertheless, his curiosity got the best of him, and he inquired, "Miss Charlotte, may I ask you a question?" He needed to confirm one thing first.

"Of course, Zayn~ Feel free to ask me anything," Charlotte replied with a flirtatious smile.

Zayn took a deep breath and posed his question earnestly: "Do you despise our engagement and resent me?"

He needed to clarify this with her, especially given the ambiguity he perceived in Charlotte's apparent lack of aversion to their engagement.

Charlotte, still smiling, seemed to have anticipated such a question from him.

"At first, I despised this arranged engagement," Charlotte stated with a cold demeanor, her indifference returning to her expression.

She was no longer the soft, flirtatious woman from earlier, but the ice queen Zayn was familiar with.

Suddenly, her chilly countenance softened, and she continued, "However, once I discovered that my fiancé was from the Welston family, it filled me with such happiness that I felt like crying."

"The prince of the capital and the person I've cherished for so long turned out to be my betrothed!"

"I am immensely thankful to those who arranged this union."

"My dreams have come true, and it kept me awake for days." Charlotte gazed at him with such love that it left Zayn feeling emotionally conflicted.

"Nevertheless, because I couldn't express my feelings in his presence, I became distant, fearing that I might bore him."

"Yet, it appears my concerns were unfounded, as he, Zayn Welston, loves me deeply!" Charlotte was elated to have expressed all her emotions and not concealed them from her beloved.

Zayn, now armed with the complete truth, felt a profound sense of melancholy and guilt in the presence of the woman before him.

"So, have I misunderstood her all this time?"

"Her love for me was authentic, and she wasn't deceiving me, right?" Zayn sighed helplessly as he contemplated

A woman as beautiful and flawless as Charlotte adored him so deeply.

Furthermore, she concealed her feelings and appeared clumsy when she was around him, always hiding her true self.

How could he not be deeply moved?

However, their engagement had already been dissolved when the collaboration between their families came to an end.

It was a relationship built solely on profit, lacking a deeper connection.

In contrast to the enduring relationship between the Welston family and the Asvart family, established over several generations, their connection with the Bailey family was rather superficial.

Moreover, the two families did not stand on equal footing.

One was the leader among the six major families, while the other was a newly elevated first-class family.

Zayn's mother, in particular, harbored a strong aversion towards the Bailey family.

So, how could he address this situation?

Depression weighed heavily on Zayn for the second time, first with Luna and now with Charlotte.

However, he couldn't deceive Charlotte and had to disclose the truth.

Whether it was about the termination of their engagement or the matter of his three new fiancées,

Despite the pain it might inflict, these were all truths he needed to convey.

"Charlotte, in reality-"