Chapter 101
As soon as the words were spoken, the security manager led his team forward and hauled the dazed Chloe and ashen-faced Finnian to their feet, dragging them away from the scene.
The drama was finally over.
Alexander took off his jacket and draped it over Charlotte's shoulders, then led her out of there under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
The ride back was heavy with silence.
Alexander kept his eyes on the road, but his jaw was clenched tight, his profile looking sharp and cold in the flickering glow of the streetlights outside.
He hadn't said a single word since everything ended.
Charlotte caught a glimpse of his stony expression from the corner of her eye and found it almost funny.
She was the one who'd been framed, yet she'd stayed calm and composed throughout the whole ordeal without a trace of anger.
Meanwhile, Alexander looked like he'd been the one wronged, his fury still burning even now.
"What's the matter, Mr. Harris?" Charlotte curved her lips slightly, a teasing note in her voice that she didn't even notice herself. "Don't tell me you actually believed I had some devoted lover back in the countryside — and got jealous over nothing?"
At those words, something shifted in his eyes, growing darker.
Just then, a red light appeared up ahead. He pressed the brake and brought the car to a stop.
In the next moment, he turned to look at her, his eyes filled with a deep, unreadable shadow.
"I never doubted you."
"I'm angry at myself — angry that I didn't protect you well enough, that I let you face all of this alone, stand there while everyone pointed fingers at you and someone tried to drag your name through the mud."
His gaze was completely serious, carrying a sincerity that was impossible to ignore.
Seeing him like this, Charlotte felt something jolt inside her, her eyes flickering for just a moment.
Then he reached out, his thumb brushing gently across her cheek — so careful, as if he were handling something precious.
"Charlotte, it hurts me to see you go through this."
Such simple words, yet they hit Charlotte like a wave, her pupils contracting sharply.
A strange, unfamiliar ache rose in her chest, and her eyes suddenly burned.
Over the years, she had been through a lot — the insults, the accusations, the mockery. To her, it had all become just part of life.
She had long since learned to protect herself behind a hard shell.
Faced with Alexander's raw, unguarded honesty, Charlotte turned her head away in a fluster, not wanting him to see what was showing on her face.
"It's nothing... it's all in the past."
"Just drive. The light's green."
Alexander kept his gaze fixed on her profile for a long moment, then reached out and gently wrapped his hand around hers — which was slightly cold.
Then he started the car again.
The next day. The Langley Group. Manager's office.
Charlotte sat at her desk in a well-tailored white business suit, scrolling through the news online.
Probably because Alexander had moved so quickly, there wasn't a single story about Finnian and Chloe's attempt to frame her.
The only thing related to the auction was the romantic tale of Alexander spending five million dollars to win Charlotte a bracelet — all to make her smile.
Naturally, people online were full of envy, gushing about how devoted Alexander must be.
Just then, her assistant knocked and came in, placing a document on Charlotte's desk.
"Ms. Johnson, here's what you asked for."
Charlotte closed the browser and was about to look at the file when her assistant hesitated, clearly wanting to say something.
"Um, Ms. Johnson..."
Charlotte glanced up. "Just say it."
"The MindSync smart jewelry project we're doing with Sunrise Tech..." The assistant's voice was uncertain. "They just called and said... they've decided to pull out of the collaboration."
Charlotte's hand paused mid-signature, and her brow furrowed.
"Pull out? We signed the letter of intent last Friday. And now they're backing out today?"
"Yes." The assistant pressed on despite her discomfort. "I asked why, but they were vague about it — just said something about an internal comprehensive review concluding that the project carries too much risk, so they want to put it on hold."
"The thing is, everything about this project has been going smoothly — the outlook, the technology, all of it. So how could they suddenly..."
Charlotte understood the rest of the sentence her assistant left unspoken. Her expression grew quiet and still.
The MindSync series was the first major project Charlotte had personally led since returning to the Langley Group. Its core vision was to merge traditional jewelry design with cutting-edge wearable technology and break into a new market.
Sunrise Tech was the leading name in the domestic micro-sensor field — and the most critical tech partner for the entire project.
But now they were suddenly walking away. For Charlotte and her team, this was like having the ground pulled out from under them.
There had to be something else going on.
"Get me Jack Collins, the project lead at Sunrise Tech. I need to speak with him directly," Charlotte said, her voice cool and firm.
"I... I already tried." The assistant looked helpless, her brow creased. "Mr. Collins' secretary told me he's in an important meeting and is completely tied up for the rest of the day."
"I also reached out to others in their department, but they all brushed me off with one excuse or another."
Charlotte's eyes flickered slightly at that.
So they're dodging the conversation entirely.
"Get the car ready. We're going to Sunrise Tech. Now."
If they wouldn't come to her, she'd go to them.
She refused to believe this couldn't be sorted out.
"Yes, Ms. Johnson."
Half an hour later, the black Bentley pulled up in front of Sunrise Tech's headquarters.
Charlotte studied the blue glass curtain wall, narrowing her eyes. She was just about to get out of the car when her assistant spoke up.
"Ms. Johnson, Mr. Collins at Sunrise Tech is known for being very cautious. Maybe we should take a step back and think this through?"
She'd heard about what happened the night before and was worried Charlotte might be carrying some anger into this.
"It's fine. Whatever comes our way, we'll handle it. There's no running from business — I know what I'm doing."
Charlotte pushed open the car door and stepped out.
The two of them walked into the lobby one after the other and approached the front desk.
"I'd like to see Mr. Jack Collins. Could you let him know Charlotte Johnson from the Langley Group is here?" Charlotte said, her expression calm and even.
"Do you have an appointment, ma'am?" the receptionist asked with a polished professional smile.
"No," Charlotte said, shaking her head. Her gaze drifted to the large digital screen behind the receptionist, which was playing a Sunrise Tech promotional video.
The receptionist's smile stiffened slightly at the answer, though she recovered quickly.
She gave a small nod, typed something on her computer, then looked up with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Johnson."
"Mr. Collins is currently in a very important cross-departmental meeting. His schedule is completely full for the day — I'm afraid he won't be able to see you."
It was word for word what her assistant had been told over the phone. Charlotte smiled, nodded, then walked over to the waiting area, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
"That's fine. I'll wait."