Chapter 106
In an instant, Carl's eyes went wide. He was about to fight back.
"You——"
"Carl, I'm telling you, you have to close the Richmond deal by next Monday!" Charlotte cut him off, her tone sharp and commanding. "If you pull it off, you keep your position as Sales Manager."
"If you can't, then you've proven you're not fit for the job."
"When that happens, I'll personally submit a request to the board to have you removed. You're welcome to look for opportunities elsewhere."
"As for the public pressure you keep bringing up, I'll handle it myself. That's not your concern."
"Now get out."
Carl's chest heaved with rage. His original plan had been to use this moment to dump the entire Richmond situation on her.
But this woman hadn't flinched. She'd turned the tables on him instead.
He took a deep breath and forced his anger down, letting out a cold snort.
"Fine, Ms. Johnson. We'll see how this plays out."
With that, he spun around and stormed out, slamming the door hard enough to shake the walls.
As the sound of his footsteps faded down the hall, the coldness in Charlotte's eyes slowly gave way to quiet certainty.
Carl's agitation told her that Nora was already getting nervous — nervous enough to use public pressure and client threats to force her hand.
Too bad it hadn't worked.
---
At six-thirty in the evening, the last light of the setting sun spilled across the Langley Group's glass facade, painting it a deep, burning red.
Charlotte wrapped up her day and walked out of the building, stepping through scattered patches of fading light.
Most employees had already left. The entrance was unusually quiet.
A black Maybach sat parked discreetly along the curb not far away.
Alexander spotted her the moment she stepped outside. He pushed open his door, got out, and walked around to the passenger side to open it for her.
"Tired?"
He took in the weariness around her eyes. The sharp lines of his face softened, just slightly.
"I'm okay." Charlotte ducked in and settled into the seat.
The car pulled away smoothly. Cool air and a faint trace of cedar filled the cabin, and she felt herself gradually unwind.
"I've heard what's been going on at the Langley Group these past couple of days," Alexander said, both hands on the wheel, eyes on the road. "Jack has a solid reputation in the industry, but Sunrise Tech's largest shareholder is actually an investment firm under the Harris Group."
"If you need me to, I can make a call tonight. Jack could have the signed contract on your desk by tomorrow morning."
Charlotte's eyes narrowed. She turned and studied his profile — steady, composed.
After a long moment, she spoke.
"Alexander, do you not trust me?"
He frowned and pressed the brake at a crosswalk, then turned to look at her.
When he saw the calm confidence in her eyes, something in him relaxed. The corner of his mouth curved up, barely.
"Of course I trust you."
"I just don't want to see you waste your energy on people like this."
"Nora's been at the Langley Group for years. Before you came back, she had plenty of time to plant her own people."
"You just returned. You haven't had time to build a solid foundation yet. There's no need to go head-to-head with them right now."
Charlotte shook her head and looked away toward the traffic light ahead, its numbers blinking steadily in the distance.
"This isn't about going head-to-head. I'm trying to draw them out."
"If you step in and fix this, Jack will back down — sure. But everyone inside the Langley Group will assume I only kept my position because of the Harris family's influence."
"After that, no matter what I accomplish, they'll see it as something I got by leaning on you."
She paused.
"And besides, Sunrise Tech pulling out like this doesn't add up. Something's off."
"If I don't find out who's behind it, they'll just try something else down the road."
"I didn't go through all of this just to put out one fire."
Alexander listened in silence. Something shifted in his expression — a quiet, unmistakable respect.
He knew Charlotte had always been independent and clear-headed. He also knew her abilities ran a lot deeper than most people realized.
So he let it go.
Right on cue, the light turned green. The Maybach glided smoothly through a left turn.
"So you already have a plan?"
"For Jack — barring anything unexpected, the new proposal will be ready tomorrow." Charlotte's voice was low and measured. "He's smart. He knows how to weigh his options."
"As for inside the company, I actually want the rumors to spread — the further and more dramatic, the better."
"Nora and Carl are feeling pretty smug right now. But once that contract is signed, they won't have a leg to stand on."
"And Carl..." She paused. "I'll find a way to push him out."
Alexander blinked, his tone light.
"Sounds like I was worried for nothing. Ms. Johnson's already got everything figured out. Didn't need me at all."
Charlotte smiled. "So Mr. Harris can relax and enjoy the show. Everything will work itself out."
"Alright." Alexander exhaled and nodded. "But if you need anything — anything at all — just say the word."
"Even a spectator has to be ready to support his leading lady at a moment's notice."
Charlotte smiled again, but said nothing more.
---
The night deepened. One by one, the lights across the city went dark. But the light in Charlotte's study stayed on.
She sat in front of her laptop, brow furrowed, eyes fixed on the new "MindSync" partnership proposal on her screen.
After a long while, she pressed her lips together and leaned back in her chair.
She had taken Sunrise Tech's flagship "emotion recognition algorithm" and woven it together with the Langley Group's high-end jewelry custom service, building out an entirely new concept she was calling "Memory Jewelry."
Each smart piece would be more than a cold piece of tech. It would record the wearer's heart rate and emotional patterns — and on special anniversaries or emotionally significant moments, a micro-projector and companion app could replay a specific moment as a "heartbeat memory."
Once she was satisfied the proposal was solid, Charlotte let out a slow breath. She rubbed her temples — sore from hours of focused thinking — then sank into the couch.
Tomorrow, she'd be heading to Sunrise Tech.
But she wasn't worried. She was confident she could bring Jack around.
Her thoughts settled. She got up, gathered all her files, packed them neatly into her bag, and headed out of the study.
The last light in the house went out. Everything fell quiet.