The Ex and Her Riches
Chapter 681

Chapter 681

Charles furrowed his brow as he listened to her increasingly audacious demands.

“Newton Group is a large enterprise. Do you know what it means to hold a five percent stake in thecompany?”

“Yes, I’m aware,” came the woman’s nonchalant response. “A five percent stake holds considerablevalue, but my family’s also well-off. As the cherished daughter of the esteemed Cloud family, plenty ofmen from the city and beyond are willing to go to great lengths to marry me. With such a dowry, youshould consider yourself fortunate to have the opportunity, shouldn’t you?”

Charles’ eyes grew distant and cold, his discontent visibly etched on his face.

The blind date had reached an unprecedented level of disappointment, tarnishing his mood for theentire day.

Even so, he remained unresponsive to the woman’s words and merely reached for the silver fork onthe table, casually picking up a few nuts from the exquisitely laid-out banquet.

After she waited for what seemed like an eternity without a single word of flattery from him, Jessamyn’simpatience got the better of her. She couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you silent? Do you honestlybelieve that any other woman, apart from me, would be willing to give their attention to a man with atarnished past like yours? In fact, Charles Newton, I am willing to be with you, to give our relationship achance, and even consider our future together. You should feel honored,” she declared, her tonegrowing more intense.

A sense of urgency permeated her words as if she anticipated his immediate submission and heartfeltappreciation for her so-called generosity.

Just then, the door to the diamond suite creaked open.

A small head poked through the opening. With round and lively eyes, the child surveyed the scenewithin the room.

Upon spotting Charles, the little figure darted into the suite and, with a voice as melodious as silverbells, sweetly called out, “Daddy!”

Both Jessamyn and Charles were caught off guard.

As the latter turned his head, he was greeted by the sight of five-year-old Zendaya, bounding towardhim on her tiny legs, her arms outstretched in a warm embrace.

“Carry me, Daddy!”

Charles’ earlier somber mood dissipated instantly as he bent down, scooped her up into his embrace,and seated her on his lap.

The little girl reached up with her tiny hands, tenderly brushing her cheek against his. “Hugs, Daddy!”

Charles gazed at the precious little one before him, unable to resist the urge to affectionately ruffle hersoft locks.

Confused and bewildered, Jessamyn watched their interaction for a while, her disbelief evident on herface. “Charles Newton, you haven’t even been married yet, and you already have an illegitimatedaughter of this age! How can you have the audacity to go on a blind date with me?”

Zendaya pouted, turning to give her a defiant look. “I’m not an illegitimate daughter! I’m Daddy’s littleprincess. My mommy is more beautiful, more gentle, has a better temperament, and is even wealthierthan you!”

With a slight smirk, she continued, “Ms. Cloud, it seems like the mirror in your house is playing tricks onyou. You’ve never truly seen your own face. Compared to my handsome daddy, you’re so old and ugly.

You two are not a match at all!”

“How dare you call me old and ugly? You are such an ill-mannered little brat! And, Charles, aren’t yougoing to say something?” Jessamyn thundered.

A smile played on his lips as he kept his eyes fixed on Zendaya, opting to ignore Jessamyn’s words.

The little girl continued, “Daddy, isn’t there a trendy term to describe such ladies? Something that startswith the letter ‘D’?”

“Delusional?” Charles tenderly chimed in.

“Yeah, a delusional lady! Ms. Cloud, I think the term suits you perfectly!” Zendaya exclaimed with amischievous grin.

Her lively and mischievous nature reminded him so much of young Gwendolyn from years ago, and herlittle face bore a striking resemblance to her mother’s.

A sense of fulfillment washed over Charles as he observed the little girl bravely standing up for him.

Jessamyn’s fury threatened to unravel her poise as a refined lady, and her glare pierced Charles withintensity. “You have a child with your lover, yet you have the audacity to present yourself as unmarriedand pursue a blind date with me? Charles Newton, your behavior is utterly disrespectful! It seems thatyou hold no regard for the Cloud family. You have treated me as nothing more than a mere spectacle!”

The man remained silent, but it was little Zendaya who fired back first on his behalf. “The Cloud family?Which corner did they crawl out from? I’ve only heard of the Harris, Jenson, and Newton families.They’re the top three families of Chanaea, so where does the Cloud family even fit in?”

Charles responded with a chuckle, “It appears that the Cloud family hasn’t quite made it to the top tenof the wealthy elite.”

The exchange left Jessamyn bereft of words.

“Oh, then why should Daddy even bother to consider the Cloud family?” Zendaya’s obsidian eyessparkled with mischief. “Daddy, I don’t want this old, ugly, and mean lady to be my stepmother. She’slike a stinky pile of poop. She can’t possibly be a good match for you!”

Her words continued to outrage Jessamyn, whose anger reached its boiling point.

As the cherished daughter of the prestigious Cloud family, she had never experienced such humiliationbefore. Being compared to a repulsive pile of excrement by a mere child was unbearable.

Rising to her feet, she declared, “Charles, your tolerance of your daughter’s disrespectful behavior is aclear indication of your family’s lack of proper upbringing. In that case, I’ll teach her a lesson on yourbehalf!”

Zendaya immediately nestled into Charles’ embrace, her voice filled with a sense of helplessness.“Daddy, protect me. This mean lady wants to bully me!”

Holding the little girl in his arms, Charles locked his intense gaze onto Jessamyn. “If you even dare tolay a finger on her, tomorrow, the entire Cloudington Group will crumble into bankruptcy. Consider theconsequences carefully,” he warned.

Jessamyn hesitated, noticing the chilling seriousness in his expression.

While the Clouds had a business partnership with the Newtons, severing it would undoubtedly causeconsiderable harm.

However, the idea of bankruptcy seemed a bit far-fetched.

Despite her lack of knowledge about Zendaya’s status as the precious daughter of the Harris andJenson families, Jessamyn’s confidence wavered. She emitted a disdainful huff and mustered a façadeof resilience. “Charles Newton, do not assume that this matter is settled. We shall see how thingsunfold.”

“Goodbye, then,” Charles responded coolly while doting on the little treasure in his arms.

Seething with frustration, Jessamyn stormed out of the room, her dignity in tatters before the father-daughter duo.

Once the woman had departed, Charles tenderly released his hold on Zendaya and took a seat on anearby chair.

He raised his finger and playfully tapped the tip of the girl’s nose, his voice carrying a mixture oftenderness and seriousness. “Zendy, you haven’t been behaving properly. You disrupted an importantmatter for me, and moreover, if Cedrick discovers that you’ve been calling me ‘Daddy’ instead of ‘UncleCharles’ in public, he won’t be very happy. You might replace yourself in a bit of trouble.”

Zendaya’s lips turned downward as she instinctively rubbed her soft little bottom, complaining abouther father, “Daddy is the meanest! If he replaces out, he’ll surely spank me again. Daddy’s spankings hurta lot. He’s so strict and fierce. I’m scared…”

Charles’ heart ached for her, and he pulled her back into his embrace. “Don’t worry. I’m here for you,Zendy. If your daddy ever spanks you again, you can run away from home and come to the Newtonresidence. I’ll protect you, all right?” he assured her.

With her mischievous eyes shining, Zendaya giggled happily. She leaned in close to Charles andwhispered, “You know, whenever Daddy spanks me, I go crying to Mommy and tattle on him. Mommyis like Daddy’s arch-nemesis, and she always drags him by the ear and takes him back to their roomfor a good scolding!”

A triumphant expression adorned her cherubic face as she asked, “Am I clever, Uncle Charles?”

Charles struggled to contain his laughter as the image of Gwendolyn scolding Cedrick and him meeklyapologizing played in his mind. It brought him an inexplicable sense of satisfaction, and hewholeheartedly commended Zendaya, “You’re amazing, Zendy. If your daddy ever tries to mistreat youagain, you should definitely give him a taste of his own medicine.”

He leaned closer to Zendaya’s ear, and his voice hushed as he shared his mischievous strategies forexacting revenge on Cedrick.