Claimed by the Powerful Billionaire (Charlotte and Matthew) novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12 The Mistress’s Guilty Conscience

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Back then, the reason Isabella married John really was because she liked him.

After John left, she did sink into a slump for a while.

But in that slump, besides heartbreak, there was also fear.

The reason John ran out to go street racing that day was because he’d had a vicious fight

with Isabella.

Because John had found the flirty messages between Isabella and another man.

Isabella’s explanation was full of holes. In a rage, John stormed out the door.

Isabella never would’ve imagined that what she saw as nothing more than casual

teasing with a man would end up destroying her husband’s life.

After John died, she had nightmares for days.

She dreamed that John came to demand her life.

That was what nearly drove Isabella into depression.

But the Russell family only thought she was sick with grief. They truly pitied her, and

they treated Isabella even more gently.

So she wouldn’t be reminded and fall apart again, no one ever said the name “John” in

front of her.

And there was no way they’d let her see a photo of him.

But Charlotte had deliberately put that photo under her pillow.

When Matthew charged into Charlotte’s room in a fury, she knew that photo had done

its job.

“Charlotte! Get up!”

The blanket was yanked off her. Her arm was seized.

Matthew hauled her upright in one hard pull.

“You-”

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The words he meant to say jammed in his throat.

Tears clung to Charlotte’s face, and her eyes were red.

He had never seen that.

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In his memory, Charlotte wasn’t gentle, and she didn’t cry. She was like a machine with

no feelings.

Matthew stammered for a long time, completely forgetting why he’d come. “You… what’s

wrong with you?”

Charlotte wiped at her tears. “Matt, you’re hurting me.”

Matthew immediately let go. “Why are you crying?”

Charlotte sniffed. “I just suddenly felt wronged, and a little sad. I couldn’t control it.”

Matthew sat down at the edge of the bed, and his anger dropped fast.

“That photo… you put it there on purpose, didn’t you?”

Charlotte sighed. “If I said it wasn’t on purpose, would you believe me?”

Matthew whispered, “How am I supposed to believe you?”

Charlotte looked devastated.

“I knew it. You wouldn’t believe me. I’ve been married to you for three years-when have

you ever believed me?”

The tight knot between Matthew’s brows loosened a little. “Then explain it. How does a

photo end up under your pillow? You know Bella can’t stand anything related to John,

especially a photo.”

Charlotte said, “That photo… I’ve always kept it under my pillow.”

“Always?”

“Yeah. Because… you’re in the photo.”

Matthew fell silent for a few seconds. “What do you mean?”

Charlotte said, “We’re husband and wife, but we never even took wedding photos. And I

don’t have a single photo of you by yourself. So when I miss you, I don’t even know what

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to look at, what to hold onto. That’s why…”

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She let out a carefully placed sigh. “That’s why I took that photo. A few days ago I pulled

it out to look at it, and I forgot to put it back in the drawer.”

Matthew’s mind snagged on the words ‘when I miss you.’

He looked like he couldn’t believe it. “You… miss me?”

Charlotte sighed again. “You’re my husband. If I don’t miss you, who am I supposed to

miss?”

Matthew’s expression softened obivously, but he said, “You see me every day. What’s

there to miss?”

Charlotte lowered her voice. “These past few days, it hasn’t been every day.”

Because her husband had been with his younger brother’s wife all day long.

Matthew caught what she meant and couldn’t help laughing.

“Didn’t think you could get jealous.”

Charlotte deliberately went quiet.

Matthew reached out and rubbed her hair. “Alright. You didn’t do it on purpose. I’ll

explain it to Bella for you.”

As he spoke, he started to get up to leave.

Charlotte laughed inside and couldn’t help rubbing at her eyes.

Damn it.

She’d used too much onion. Her eyes burned like hell.

Matthew thought she was crying again and sat back down.

“Today really did make you suffer. We even cleared out a room for Bella on purpose. Don’t worry-once Bella finishes her postpartum month, I’ll have her go live with

Grandma and Mom.”

Charlotte thought, ‘Like I give a damn!’

But she said, “So you know I’ve been wronged and you feel bad, and you still came in

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here without even asking and started blaming me. Do you really love me?”

“Matt, I’m your wife.”

Looking at her pitiful little expression, Matthew couldn’t make himself move.

“Alright, good girl. Tonight, I’ll stay with you.”

Charlotte shook her head. “You should go check on your sister-in-law. I’m fine.”

Matthew said, “You were right. You’re my wife. I shouldn’t keep ignoring you.”

It was hard to tell if he meant it or not.

Charlotte froze for a moment.

“Charlie.” Matthew’s gaze turned gentle, and the corner of his mouth lifted into a

satisfied smile. “These past two days… you seem like you’ve changed a lot.”

“How have I changed?”

“You’ve gotten obedient. And you’ve gotten more generous.”

Charlotte smiled like she’d let it go. “Because I figured it out. What’s done is done. I can’t

change anything. And after your family got Joseph, everyone really has been a lot

happier. I’m happy for all of you.”

Something about that didn’t sit right with Matthew.

“What do you mean ‘your family’ and ‘all of you’? Aren’t you part of the Russell family

too?”

Charlotte smiled falsely and said nothing.

What a first!

Matthew had actually said out loud that she was part of the Russell family.

Before this, no one in the Russell family had ever treated her like one of their own.

Whenever there was something to discuss, they excluded her-closing the door tight, afraid she’d hear.

Charlotte hadn’t even stepped over the threshold of Matthew’s company once.

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A shadow suddenly appeared by the open doorway.

Charlotte’s voice instantly turned soft and sweet.