Chapter 117
Just then, the butler hurried in and leaned close to Edward's ear, speaking in a low voice.
"Mr. Edward Harris, the Johnson family is here. They say they want to meet with you to discuss the matter between Mr. Benjamin Harris and Ms. Chloe Johnson."
The instant Benjamin heard those words, his heart plummeted.
Edward fell silent for a moment, his eyes darkening.
Having navigated the business world for years, how could he not know why they'd come?
But right now, they weren't in the right, which naturally put them at a disadvantage.
"Let them in."
The butler nodded and hurried off. The atmosphere in the living room plunged to freezing.
Soon, Henry swaggered in with a lawyer in tow.
Gone was the grief-stricken expression he'd worn for the media. His face was calm, a faint trace of smugness playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Edward, I'm actually here today about Chloe's reputation."
"Things have blown up pretty big now. I know the Harris Group has taken quite a hit because of this, so I was thinking—why don't we discuss the marriage between our two families?"
"Marriage?" Benjamin let out a derisive laugh, his eyes full of mockery. "Henry, you're dreaming!"
At those words, Henry's expression soured slightly, though he wasn't foolish enough to clash directly with Benjamin. Instead, he waved his hand.
The lawyer behind him pushed up his glasses and pulled out several printed photographs and a document, laying them on the coffee table.
"Mr. Edward Harris, Mr. Benjamin Harris, these are the materials we've collected. You can take a look."
"Based on these, it's not hard to see what transpired between Mr. Benjamin Harris and my client. So if we can't resolve this peacefully, we won't rule out pursuing legal action—or making more details public to seek a resolution."
The moment he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room turned strange. Edward's face darkened, but he said nothing.
The 'bedroom photos' spread across the coffee table were particularly glaring, and Henry's shameless threats left Benjamin trembling with rage.
Several times, he nearly lost control and ordered them thrown out.
But Edward seemed to sense his intentions and shot him a fierce glare before speaking.
"Fine. This marriage—the Harris family accepts it."
"Grandpa!" Benjamin stared at him in disbelief.
"Shut your mouth!" Edward barked. "This is the mess you created, so you'll deal with the consequences!"
"Wedding preparations start tomorrow. The sooner we get married, the sooner this storm dies down!"
In Edward's view, sacrificing one Benjamin to preserve the entire family's reputation was more than worth it. The Harris Group was at a critical juncture—they absolutely couldn't afford any mistakes!
Besides, the two were already engaged!
If they actually got together, it would all be perfectly legitimate.
In an instant, Benjamin felt like he'd been struck by lightning, his entire body freezing in place.
He looked at Henry's supremely smug face and Edward's cold eyes, and endless regret and despair welled up inside him.
He knew—it was all over!
That afternoon, the Harris Group and the Johnson family issued a joint statement announcing that Benjamin and Chloe shared deep feelings and were well-matched, and would hold an engagement ceremony soon.
The news set off a firestorm online. Overnight, Chloe became the object of every woman in the city's envy, basking in unlimited glory.
……
At that moment, in the top-floor conference room of the Langley Group, after a fierce battle, everything had finally quieted down.
Everyone had left, leaving only Charlotte sitting alone in her chair, staring absently at the documents before her.
"Charlotte! Don't get cocky! You think you've really won? You'll never win! You can't beat us…"
That's right!
She'd just finished handling the company project matter, and the words Nora had shouted as she was dragged from the conference room still echoed in her ears, making her frown involuntarily.
She'd said 'us'—did that mean there were others involved?
After all, Nora alone couldn't possibly have stirred up such a storm inside the Langley Group. There had to be someone else backing her!
At the thought, Charlotte's eyes darkened.
It seemed this game was far from over!
Just then, her phone vibrated. 'Mom' flashed on the screen.
Charlotte seemed to understand something. She sighed and rubbed her temples, but still answered.
"Charlie, where are you right now? I already know what happened. That wretched girl! How dare she?!" Victoria's voice, laced with fury, came through the phone.
"I'm still at the office. Nora's been taken away by the compliance department."
Victoria was clearly unsatisfied with that outcome and gave a cold laugh.
"Just handing her over to compliance is letting her off way too easy!"
"Anyone who dares touch my daughter—just wait. This isn't over!"
"Listen, come back to the Langley Estate immediately. Some things need to be said in front of everyone. We can't keep tiptoeing around this anymore!"
Hearing her forceful command, Charlotte felt somewhat helpless.
Truth be told, she didn't particularly like this feeling of being protected. She preferred to accomplish things with her own hands.
But Charlotte also understood that Victoria's iron-fisted methods were most effective in a deeply entrenched family like the Langleys.
She knew Victoria was taking this matter extremely seriously, so she'd follow her arrangements.
"Alright, I'll head back now."
Half an hour later, the car slowly pulled into the Langley Estate.
The magnificent grounds displayed the family's profound heritage at every turn—solemn and imposing.
Charlotte walked slowly into the main hall and glanced around, noticing that all the main members of the Langley family were present.
Led by Charles, a group of collateral elders sat upright, their expressions varied.
But when their eyes turned toward Charlotte, they carried scrutiny and hostility.
Victoria sat in the seat of honor, her face grim, her eyes seeming to hold shards of ice.
Everyone maintained a tacit silence until Charlotte entered, breaking the oppressive atmosphere.
"Charlie, you're here." Seeing Charlotte enter, the ice in Victoria's eyes thawed slightly. She gestured gently. "Come, sit by me."
Charlotte walked over as instructed and sat in the empty seat beside Victoria.
The moment she settled onto the chair, Charles cleared his throat and spoke with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Victoria, I'm glad Charlie's alright."
"Nora was too impulsive. She was definitely in the wrong here."
"But at the end of the day, we're all family. Surely it doesn't warrant involving the police? If word gets out, it won't look good for the Langley family's reputation."