Bride of Retribution: Aloof Billionaire's Dominant Game-Chapter 22 - 020 He is a totally normal man.

Charlotte glared at Ethan Baird, then picked up her chopsticks to dab a bit of the hot sauce from the dish. As expected, it was fragrant.

"So, what’s going on? Tell me why it’s so sudden. You said you couldn’t explain it over the phone, but now that I’m here, you can clarify it, right?" Ethan took a sip of plum juice. This was certainly him acclimating to the local customs—him, the young master who even had specific demands for the temperature of his coffee, was now drinking this kind of drink?

"It’s not complicated." With the spicy aroma lingering on her tongue, Charlotte’s eyes darkened, as if the stars in the sky had suddenly vanished.

"My father gave some money to a client in exchange for a project, and the amount was significant enough to warrant a jail sentence. At the time, a subsidiary of the Hallow Clan was also preparing to take on this project. When the Hallow Family found out what my dad had done, they demanded a Miller Family daughter in marriage. If neither I nor my sister marries, the Millers will face bankruptcy, and my dad is looking at a prison sentence of more than seven years." Charlotte sat there speaking as if discussing the most ordinary thing, and suddenly, all the surrounding noise quieted down, leaving only her soft voice reaching his eardrums.

"The seven years I mentioned is just the minimum. It could be ten years or even longer, depending on what the Hallow Family decides to do..." After saying this, a helpless smile appeared on her face, as charming as a lonely flower blooming in water.

"Ethan, I have no other choice. My dad’s health is already having some minor issues." This was the most lethal part. Charlotte had never felt so helpless. If money could solve this, she would raise as much as possible to fix the Miller’s troubles, but this was no longer about money: "I can’t just watch him go to his death. It was all too sudden without any time to prepare."

Ethan’s eyes trembled fiercely. He didn’t know how to comfort Charlotte. This smart woman, who he thought nothing could trouble, unexpectedly had something she couldn’t handle.

"Does he have issues?" Ethan knew Atlas Hallow, the young business tycoon who took the world by storm, with countless women wanting to become Mrs. Hallow. But did he need to seize on a critical weakness to threaten the Miller Family?

If he had met Charlotte, fallen in love with this girl, and resorted to threats, it would still be understandable. But originally, he wanted to marry Luna Miller, not Charlotte, and all of this seemed like a mystery. Why was Atlas Hallow in such a rush to get married?

"For now, it seems not." The food had been served, and Charlotte took a deep breath, picking up her chopsticks to start eating. Dining like an emperor, meals at the Hallow home were difficult to digest.

Picking the tiny pieces of chicken hidden in the mountain of red peppers, paired with soft rice, was sheer enjoyment, and Charlotte began to eat unreservedly. Apart from his strange dining habits, Atlas Hallow seemed to have no issues. He was the first man she met who had coffee with potstickers.

As for what Luna said about his physical defect, she hadn’t had any substantial dealings with him, but instinctively she felt there wasn’t any. He was as normal a man as could be.

"Why is your face red again?" Ethan was eating white rice with plum juice. These damn stinky tofu and fatty intestines were beyond him.

"Too spicy." Charlotte replied, not even looking up as she continued eating.

"I was thinking, should we move our focus back here? The brand is already established, and the U.S.A. market is so large. You can’t get away for a while, and we don’t know what the Hallow Family intends to do. We have some foundation and won’t topple over easily." If the Hallow Family harbors no bad intentions, it would be fine. But at any sign of movement, Charlotte wouldn’t sit idly by.

Ethan wasn’t wrong, but would Atlas Hallow allow his wife to work outside?

"Let me think about it." This was something to be pondered carefully. Sometimes a single misstep could lead to continual mistakes, and she still didn’t know what the Hallow Family intended to do, so vigilance was necessary.

This little restaurant could satisfy taste buds, but the environment was really lacking. They quickly left after eating, as someone was waiting by their table, definitely not a place for conversation.

"You just returned, how is it you’ve already bought a car?" Not far from the door was a flashy sports car, and she watched as he pulled car keys from his pocket. Ethan was certainly efficient in his actions.

"It’s borrowed." His car had been ordered but would take more than ten days to arrive, so he borrowed one in the meantime. "Where are you headed? I’ll give you a lift."

"I’m going to the mall to buy some clothes." That was today’s top priority. She had said she would go buy clothes, couldn’t be out for so long without buying any, could she?

"Do you think this suits me? My current role is a restaurant waitress." After looking at the tag, Charlotte shook her head. Earlier today, Atlas had already caused some trouble by speaking to her at the restaurant, and wearing such an expensive dress would only invite speculation. She didn’t want to cause herself any trouble.

"You can wear it when you’re not working." Ethan was very insistent. In the United States, he loved dressing up Charlotte. This dress suited her perfectly; he was sure it would look great on her, no need for a fitting. He simply picked a few more and handed his card to the store clerk without further ado.

Charlotte didn’t say a word; sometimes Ethan was like a kid, happy just to be so.

She chose two pairs of pants and two sweaters in another store, the kind that were appropriately priced and simple in style. She still didn’t get the chance to pay, as Ethan had already settled the bill. With each hand filled with shopping bags, Charlotte said to Ethan, "I’ll just take a taxi back. It might not be the best idea for you to appear right now."

"I know. Be careful." After putting Charlotte in the taxi, Ethan watched as the cab disappeared into the distance, feeling like a heavy stone weighed down on his heart. Why did this have to happen so suddenly?

When Charlotte returned to the Hallow Family home, she didn’t expect Atlas Hallow to have returned already.

She wasn’t back late, not even ten o’clock, yet he was already back?

Atlas stood by the window, watching from afar as the taxi wound its way up the hill. He saw the housekeeper open the iron gate and greet her, saw the servants take the shopping bags from her hands. But his phone had never shown a consumption record alert, indicating she hadn’t used the card he gave her.

His calm expression was like the sea at night without wind or waves, but who knew what lay beneath that calm surface?