Blackmailing His Runaway Bride by Dance-is-me (carter reed .txt) 📗

Thirty Nine

With no intention of slowing down his anger-filled strides, Charles made for his mother’s room in the grand hotel. 

Claire Oxford had finally crossed the line and he wasn’t going to let her audacity slide. 

Charles could still hear Gabriel Manifold's confession ringing in his ear and his hands formed fists to ensure his fury didn't burst at that very moment.

To make matters worse, Charles was meant to be celebrating Isabella's victory. The woman he loved had finally won the battle of her life and his mother managed to ruin the victory with her bad intentions.

That was more reason to see his mother at that moment. 

Charles finally made it to the closed entrance of his mother's room and took a deep breath to calm himself to an extent. Hardening his face after, he pushed the door hard, took a quick scan of the room, then smiled. 

The presence of his father was a plus for Charles and he could imagine that his incoming utterances and action would have a greater effect on his mother since her husband would be in the room.

“Charles, where are your manners? Have you lost your senses to the extent that you don’t know how to knock anymore?” his mother quizzed, her brows furrowed. Charles could sense that his mother was about to include Isabella in her questions, but he said nothing. He just walked to a nearby chair and pressured the furniture with his weight. 

“Charles… is there something you wish to say?” His father caught up fast.

“I have a question for you… Mother.” His cold gaze darted toward his mother and Charles made his elbows rest against his knees as his back arched a little. “Did you ask Manifold to kill Rodrigo Ordinaz?” There was no need to beat around the bush. 

“Wh- what are you saying?” the woman stuttered, her eyes landing on her husband as though trying to claim that their son was about to lie against her.

“Don’t even pretend like you did last time, I won’t buy it.” Charles’s eyes met his father’s and he said, “I know about my biological father. And I just learned that she sent Manifold to get rid of him. Please ask her if it is true.” 

“Claire?” Christopher Oxford didn’t look like he was surprised about Charles's paternal knowledge. Definitely, his mother had told him that Ordinaz wished to see his son. “Is that true?” 

A short silence followed with her eyes darting here and there. After, Claire Oxford said, “What do you expect me to say?” Her voice carried a tone very unfamiliar to the two men. “I did tell him to do it.” 

Charles felt something drop inside his chest. Trying hard to keep his face from wearing a scowl, he asked simply, “Why?” 

“What do you mean by why? Isn’t this all your fault? Of all women you could be with, you chose Isabella. Isabella Shade!” 

“And what on earth is wrong with her?” Charles retorted, his face now wearing that frown.

“She is not fit for you. I am very sure she had a plan that brought her closer to you. People like her are very dangerous.”

Charles face-palmed himself and let out a low groan. At the same time, his father made ticking sounds with his tongue and kept glancing at his wife with a pitiful look.

Adjusting in his seat, not willing to lose his cool totally, Charles faced his mother squarely and said, “You are lucky that you are my mother, or I would have called you names one shouldn’t call even an actual animal. But, what on earth is your problem? Why have you decided to ruin me?” 

Pointing a hand to her chest, Mrs. Oxford gave her voice an innocent tone, trying to make it seem like she was been falsely accused by her son. “Ruin you? I-” 

Charles's hand came up and cut her short to her dismay. “If you must know, your views about Isabella are all wrong. You have gotten it all wrong." The intensity in the tone of his voice made his head gesture in a rhythmic way. "Isabella never once approached me. Even years ago when we first met, I was the one that walked up to her.” 

Claire Oxford wore a frown and stole a look at her husband who nodded slowly. 

“Recently when we met again, I was the one who asked her to marry me. Because she is the one I want." Charles made his palm hit his chest severally, showing how pained he was about the entire thing. "Because she is the woman my heart draws to. But you… you have gone so blind, that you have failed to see how wrong you are about a lot of things. You have gone as far as wanting to commit a murder. 

Are you really the woman that gave birth to me?” Charles had a hint of sadness in his voice. Even his face wore a bit of that emotion called sorrow. “And why do you hate Isabella so much? Why are you willing to throw her back to the monster she is trying to run from? Huh?” 

Claire sighed and looked elsewhere. “I just don’t think she is the one for-” 

“And who are you to decide that?” His thick, commanding voice was back and it made his mother jolt in her seat. 

“Charles…” his father warned faintly. 

“You know what… hate her all you want. All I know is, that I won’t let you hurt her. Before that happens, you’ll have to go through me first.” 

“Charles…” 

He got up and gave his mother one last look. “I am very disappointed in you, Mother. I really am.” His words punched the room with tension and as he walked out of the room, it remained there.

~

After hearing the details of Charles's story, Isabella was dumbfounded. But the one that struck her the most was the murder attempt Mrs. Oxford was willing to enact. So, with narrowed eyes, she faced Charles and asked, “Is that Rodrigo…” 

“Ordinaz,” Charles completed the name for her as he helped her tie her shoelaces. 

“Is he your real father?” 

“Yes.”

 Leaning her head to the side, the matter failed to make sense to Isabella. 

“Why would your mother want to kill your real father?” 

‍​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‍