Chapter 268 What Are You Doing Here

• Nathan rubbed the bridge of his nose, watching her flee in a panic, and remembered something. He’d told Charlotte—while posing as Quille—that he’d start work tomorrow. Even though he couldn’t let Charlotte know Quille was actually Nathan, Quille couldn’t wear a mask forever. He still wanted to dig out the mysterious person behind that woman, so he needed to expose himself a bit. Nathan picked up his phone and texted his assistant: “Seven a.m. tomorrow. Prep a realistic face mask, and give the hospital a heads-up that I’ll be clocking in as Quille.” The assistant replied fast: “Got it.” He was reliable. At seven sharp the next morning, Nathan was having breakfast when the assistant knocked on the door of the Quille residence. He walked to the dining table and bowed slightly. “Mr. Quille, everything’s ready. Do you want me to help you put it on?” Nathan set down his coffee cup. “No. I’ll handle it.” “Okay. I’ll go get the car ready.” Nathan nodded. The assistant was almost out the door when Nathan stopped him. “If I remember right, you drive a BMW in private, yeah?” The assistant froze a second, then said quickly, “Yes.” Nathan stood up. “Give me the key. I’m driving myself for the time being.” The assistant paused again, then caught on fast. Right—if he was going to the hospital as Quille, he couldn’t roll up in Nathan’s usual ride. He respectfully handed over his keys. Once Nathan had the mask on and was behind the wheel of that BMW, heading to the hospital, Belinda was leaving home at the same time. She’d gotten up extra early today and gone all out. She wore ES’s new-season embroidered dress and had splurged on a celebrity makeup artist for her look. If she wanted the best actor’s help, she had to spend big. The Sherrod residence’s funding hole was still a headache. She’d promised Quintus she’d take care of it, so today she was making her move. Belinda was always confident in her looks. Staring at the heavy-glam beauty in the mirror, she felt smug as hell. With this kind of vibe, one crook of her finger and wouldn’t Mr. Theodore come running? She went downstairs on purpose, gave Quintus and Yolanda a coy look, and asked, “Dad, Mom, how do I look?” Quintus looked very pleased. Yolanda beamed. “Belle is totally the number one beauty of Quocester. So much better than your Lettie!” Belinda smirked, then strutted out of the Sherrod residence like she’d already won. The driver was waiting at the door. The best actor’s new production had just kicked off. It was busy as hell. Crew members were swarming everywhere. When the Sherrod residence’s car arrived at the set, Belinda reminded herself to look gracious and composed. She forced herself to wait and even told them not to inform him just yet. After one scene wrapped, the life assistant, Little Caseareo, sidled up to the best actor and whispered that a Ms. Sherrod was waiting for him in the makeup room. Theodore’s heart leapt. Ms. Sherrod—was Charlotte here to visit? He didn’t even have time to greet the director. He bolted straight to his private makeup room, excited. In the new show, Theodore played a demon lord. Costumes, hair, and props in period dramas had gotten crazy competitive. He wore a black-and-dark-gold long robe with sweeping, floor-length sleeves. His hair was tied back and topped with a gold coronet, giving him a stately, regal look. The makeup artist had drawn a faint red line at the outer corner of his eye, extending down to the lower lid, then dotted a blazing red beauty mark. His features were already narrow and fine. With that makeup, he looked wicked and almost otherworldly. The second he pushed the door open, Belinda practically forgot how to breathe. So the best actor was this gorgeous? Theodore froze when he saw her, too. Wasn’t it supposed to be Charlotte? What was this woman doing here? The thrill in his chest died on the spot. He shot his assistant a look—what the hell—and the assistant gave a stiff, awkward smile. Theodore rolled his eyes, turned, and said coldly, “What are you doing here?”