Chapter 87
Charles Alster's arrival caused a huge commotion in the ballroom. Despite his gray hair, his need to lean on his cane, and the support of his butler, his commanding presence and aura were still strong. Everyone gaped at him. As he strode toward Agatha, the guests parted in front of him like the Red Sea when Moses passed through it.
"Who is he?" The voice of a young lady suddenly whispered.
"That's Charles Alster!" Someone replied in awe.
"Charles Alster?" Another young lady asked. "Is he Julian Alster's grandpa?"
"He is a legend in the business world," someone replied.
Not many people in Country B had the pleasure of meeting him, but just like the production crew of 'True Love', unlike the young ladies who preferred to pamper themselves, every businessman would know who Charles Alster was.
Even the younger generations still would know him, given how powerful and influential the Alster Group was after he had taken over.
Right now, Julian Alster, his grandson, was right at his heels, becoming a legendary figure himself along with Hudson Amery and Logan Jennings for their exceptional business skills, ruthless negotiations, and ambitions, and bringing each group even more to a higher pinnacle than what their older generations had left them behind.
Those three were now who the younger generations looked up to, and even older CEOs who were the same age as their parents respected them.
They embodied the perfect image of businessmen through and through and carried themselves with the same commanding presence no matter how different their characters were - Hudson with his aloofness, Julian with his gentleness, and Logan with his cunningness.
Charles ignored those whispers, even though they annoyed him, as he felt like a monkey in a circus. It had been quite a long time since he became the subject of gossip, but he was here for the one person who had treated his beloved granddaughter lovingly when she entered the Amery family.
Agatha finally realized the guests who had surrounded her thinned out, and she looked up, wondering what was happening.
Her eyes softened when she looked at Charles Alster, who used to be close to her husband until they got busy with each of their families, and now the handsome young man in her memory had turned gray and old like she was.
She reached out her hand toward her maid to help her up and leaned on her cane as she waited for Charles to reach her. "Agatha," Charles smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "You still look as lovely as the last time we met."
"Oh you, flirty man," Agatha smacked his arm playfully and gestured for him to the seat next to her.
"What brings you to Country B?" she asked as some servants poured them a cup of tea.
"Can't I visit an old friend who's having a birthday banquet?" Charles asked with that mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
Cherise sneered. "Of course, you'd think that. In your eyes, I will always be a gold digger and a slut."
Her words were like a punch to Hudson's gut. He never meant it to sound like that.
Hudson's initial plan was to ask her why she concealed her identity as Angel from him, but he didn't know why, he took her hand, which had been stepped on by the staff at Moonlight Villa, his mother, and Polly.
"Does it still hurt, Cherise?" He massaged and caressed her hand gently before pulling her into his arms, his cheek brushing over and over against hers, one of his hands running up and down along her back and the other caressing her stomach and ribs. "Do they still hurt, Cherise?"
Cherise was so stunned by his sudden change of demeanor that she stood frozen and let him hold her. It felt like a dream- a dream that the Cherise, who was still married to Hudson, wished would come true.
Hudson's voice was gentle, hoarse, and full of pain; his caresses were gentle, as if he was soothing all the injuries she had sustained during their marriage.
It took her a moment to realize what was happening, and when her mind sharpened, she pushed him back with all her might.
Caught unaware, Hudson let her go and stumbled one step back.
"Never touch me again, Hudson!" Cherise snapped at him.
Hudson stilled before letting his hands, which were reaching out to pull her into his arms again, fall to his side. He clenched them tightly to prevent himself from doing so again.
He swallowed and said, "Cherise, I'm sorry. I found out how my mom, Polly, and the staff at the Moonlight Villa had physically abused you."
Cherise sneered. "You are apologizing for their actions? I still remember our last meeting where you blamed me for not fighting back."
Hudson felt his heart aching, but he would take whatever insults, mockings, or even her coldness. He had hurt her so much; he deserved it.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
"No, I'm not apologizing for them," Hudson looked into her eyes intensely, hoping she could see his remorse and sincerity. "I apologize for indirectly encouraging them, for not showing you and giving you the love you deserve, for being a jerk of a husband. I should've seen your pain and taken care of your injuries, and stopped them from doing such horrendous things to you. You must have been terrified."
Cherise looked at Hudson as if he had grown another head.
"I don't need your apology." Cherise flipped her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms over her body. "The damages had been done, and your apology came too late."
"Cherise-"
"Mr. Hudson, Madam Agatha required your presence in the ballroom." Suddenly, Agatha's maid appeared, interrupting their conversation.
Hudson looked at Cherise, then the maid. He still wanted to talk to Cherise, but if his grandma asked his personal maid to fetch him, it must be important.
"We'll finish our conversation later," Hudson said gently to Cherise before walking away.
Agatha's personal maid, who loved Cherise, looked at her, asking her silently if she was alright.
Cherise smiled at her gratefully and told her, "I'm fine. He didn't do anything to me."
The maid nodded and turned to return to her employer.
Cherise walked toward her initial destination before Hudson blocked her and sank onto the chair, pulling the soft and warm blanket around her body, and thought of what had happened. She couldn't deny that her heart trembled when Hudson pulled her into her arms and apologized. The gentleness, remorse, sincerity, and pain in his voice, touch, and gaze were too real to be faked, but as she had told him, it was too late. She wouldn't be foolish enough to fall into the same hell again.
"Old Master Alster, I'm Dahlia, Agatha's daughter-in-law," Dahlia introduced herself elegantly when they arrived at Agatha's table and gestured to Polly and Emely before introducing them. "This is Polly, my daughter, and Emely, my eldest son's... girlfriend, and would've been wife if he didn't pass away tragically."
"My condolences, Agatha," Charles ignored Dahlia and offered it to Agatha instead.
"Thank you, Charles." Agatha offered him a smile.
Charles turned his head to examine Emely, who put on a demure smile but inside was squirming. Was the disdain in the patriarch of the Alster family real, or was she imagining it?
She didn't need long to find out as Charles nodded his head slowly and spoke, "Yes, I've heard about you. You are the one who got pregnant with the older brother, but when he passed away, you wanted to marry the younger brother. Frankly, I find it quite..disturbing."
Emely's cheek heated up from humiliation. She knew what Charles meant by 'disturbing', and tried to defend herself, "I-I didn't Hudson was-"
Charles waved his hand dismissively. "I do not need your excuse, young lady. If you really didn't, you would not have agreed to marry him. You would have given him another solution on how to take care of you."
Charles rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "To want to have a taste of two brothers... If I have two sons or two grandsons and there is a woman who is shameless or cheap enough to want both brothers, I'd have kicked her away."
He turned toward Agatha and smiled. "I apologize for my rudeness, Agatha."
Agatha smiled back and replied, "Don't be. I told my grandson the same way, and he apparently felt the same way as he said he had no desire to share her bed before he canceled their engagement."
Hudson, who had reached the table, heard Charles' words but pretended not to as he was in agreement as well.
"Old Master Alster," he greeted with his usual cold voice but none of the arrogance. "I'm Hudson Amery."
Charles looked Hudson up and down and said lightly, "Oh, you are Hudson, Agatha's grandson. Hmm... Yes, you are handsome, but I've also heard about the injustice you did to your ex-wife."