The Trash Son-in-law Is A Hidden Billionaire

Chapter Thirteen

Charlotte furrowed her brows. “What house are you talking about?”

“The key card is right here,” she added quickly, fumbling through her purse until she pulled out a blue card. 

“I just wanted to check if anything was missing or out of place so I could start arranging things before you moved in. Who would’ve thought the door alarm would malfunction and bring in a whole squad of security guards treating us like thieves?”

Daniel froze. He never imagined this foolish woman would take his casual words so literally. The key card he’d given her was just an old one he’d picked up from a cheap motel—and she had actually used it to open a door!

He almost felt like crying. She was about to expose his lie, and he couldn’t allow that. His mind raced like an engine as he tried to think of a way out of this.

He forced a laugh and quickly snatched the card from Beatrice’s hand. “Oh, this is all my fault, not my mother-in-law's. I was too impatient that day and gave her the card before I even registered it with the property office. So of course it wouldn’t work, right?” he laughed nervously.

“Ugh, the property management is so uncooperative and unhelpful,” he said, feigning annoyance. “Don’t worry, I’ll have my assistant deal with those guards right away.”

Beatrice’s heart finally began to settle. It wasn’t the security guards’ fault after all—it was her own impatience. If she had just waited and not rushed to show off, none of this would have happened.

She let out a slow breath, her chest rising and falling as relief seeped in. For a moment, she even managed a small smile at her own foolishness.

“Ah… so that was what happened,” she murmured, forcing a laugh to cover her embarrassment.

She quickly straightened her posture, trying to regain her composure. “No need to deal with the guards,” she said, waving her hand as though the matter were trivial. “Let it go. It was all a misunderstanding, after all, and the guards were only doing their jobs.”

She smiled again, trying to look generous. “In fact, it just shows how diligent and responsible they are, seeing how quickly they sent me to the police station.” She let out a light, self-deprecating laugh at the end.

“Think of it,” she continued, turning toward Daniel and Charlotte. “If you move in, I won’t have to worry about your safety anymore.”

Her laugh came out uneven, and she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly before adding, “Well, that’s the difference with an expensive house—pricey, but worth it.” She chuckled nervously.

Charlotte suddenly realized something. Her expression softened as she looked up at Daniel, her tone playful yet sweet. “Why did you keep such a big thing from me, darling? That’s not fair.” Her voice was playful.

She pouted and gave him a light slap on his chest, her cheeks tinged with warmth.

“Come on, babe,” he said, lifting her chin and kissing her gently on the lips. “You know how much I care about you, right? I just didn’t want you to be distracted by something so trivial. I want you to have enough time to focus on your career, huh?”

His voice was tender, almost coaxing. Charlotte's heart melted. The frustration that had been building up inside her dissipated as warmth spread through her chest.

Eyes fluttering shut, she leaned in and kissed him back deeply, her hand resting against his chest.

Beatrice watched the lovey-dovey couple with a faint smile. The sweetness in front of her almost made her forget the embarrassment from moments ago. But then, Daniel’s words suddenly triggered something in her memory.

Wait a second… Wasn't today supposed to be the day Charlotte rang the bell for her company’s IPO listing?

Her brows lifted as realization struck. “Oh, right! I almost forgot, Charlotte,” she said brightly. “How was today’s bell-ringing ceremony? I hope everything went well?”

Charlotte’s happy expression vanished instantly. Her jaw tightened, and she clenched her fists.

Thinking about the disastrous events of the day made her want to break. Everything had been going well, falling perfectly into place—until Mark arrived with that cursed girl. He had most likely plotted with her to get his revenge. Her jaw tightened.

“Don’t even bring it up,” she growled. “That bastard ex-husband of mine, Mark—he stabbed me in the back. He colluded with outsiders to frame me, stole my listing qualification, and now he’s trying to ruin my entire company!” she spat furiously.

Beatrice was stunned. She turned to Daniel for confirmation, searching his face for any sign that Charlotte might be exaggerating.

He gave a solemn nod, confirming every word.

Beatrice almost had a breakdown. Why was today like this? First, she had been arrested and disgraced in the morning, then her friends turned against her—and now, the Nasdaq bell-ringing ceremony she had bragged about so much to her friends, until their ears nearly bled, was cancelled.

Daniel’s eyes lit up suddenly as he began forming a plan in his mind. His gaze flickered toward Charlotte, who looked so downcast and emotional. He decided to seize the opportunity that had just presented itself.

“Dear, don’t be upset,” he murmured, pulling her closer and resting her head on his shoulder. “Leave this to me. I’ll make sure no one destroys your company.”

Charlotte’s lashes trembled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She looked up at him with deep affection.

“You’re so sweet, darling,” she whispered, hugging him tightly as if she had just found her only support in the world.