Chapter 118
"Bad for reputation?" Victoria let out a cold laugh, not even sparing him a glance. Her fingers traced the rim of her cup, her expression darkening. "When she forged documents, embezzled company funds, and deliberately falsified data—nearly destroying a hundred-billion-dollar project and dragging the entire corporation's reputation through the mud—did she stop to consider the Langley family's reputation?"
"Charles, your precious daughter has truly opened my eyes."
Charles's face turned ashen at her words, his lips working soundlessly for a long moment before he managed a weak defense. "She… she just made a mistake in judgment, that's all."
"Crack!"
Victoria's patience finally snapped. She slammed her coffee cup down on the table with such force that the hot liquid inside splashed out instantly, scalding the back of her hand. She didn't even seem to notice.
"A mistake in judgment?"
"If everyone who screwed up could just brush it off as a 'mistake in judgment,' then what's the point of having any rules at all?!"
"The Langley Group was built from the ground up by my father. When he handed it to me, I became responsible for this company!"
"I know exactly what all of you are thinking—that Charlie just came home, that she can't handle this kind of responsibility. Well, let me make something crystal clear right now!"
"From this moment forward, I'm handing the Langley Group over to my daughter, Charlotte!"
"And don't any of you try pulling strings behind my back. If you dare, you'll end up exactly like her!"
Victoria's voice carried an unmistakable authority and finality that left the entire hall in dead silence.
"I'm laying it out for everyone here today."
"Charlie is my line in the sand. Anyone who so much as touches a hair on her head is my enemy—and the Langley Group's enemy. I have no problem reshuffling the deck within the Langley family if that's what it takes."
As those words landed, Charles and the others exchanged uneasy glances.
None of them had expected Victoria to be this ruthless, to leave no room for saving face, to rip away the thin veneer of false harmony that had covered the family's internal conflicts!
Charlotte sat quietly through it all, feeling the warmth and strength radiating from her mother's hand clasped over hers.
She lifted her head, acutely aware of how the gazes falling on her had shifted—from initial scrutiny and contempt to present-day fear and resentment.
Charlotte understood that Victoria's actions, while warning these people, had also pushed the two of them squarely into opposition with the rest of the family.
But she didn't care. Not in the slightest.
The atmosphere in the room remained frozen for what felt like an eternity. Finally, Charles forced out words through gritted teeth.
"Victoria, is this really necessary? We're all… family…"
Watching his forced smile that never reached his eyes, Victoria let out another cold laugh.
"Precisely because we're family, you get to sit here and listen to me talk instead of having the compliance department invite you to their offices for a 'chat.'"
"I've said what I needed to say." She took a deep breath, leaning back in her chair as her gaze swept across everyone present. "Anyone have objections? Speak up now."
"If not, then we're done here."
Hearing this, Charles's expression turned even uglier.
Who would dare voice an objection now? The moment anyone opened their mouth, Victoria would probably strike.
So he bit down hard, stood up, and left without another word.
Seeing this, the others quickly rose and followed him out, practically fleeing the oppressive hall.
Before long, the vast reception hall held only Charlotte and Victoria.
The ice gradually melted from Victoria's face, replaced by a flicker of exhaustion in her eyes.
Then she turned to Charlotte, her gaze filled with both apology and heartache.
"Charlie, did I frighten you?"
"I didn't have much choice, I'm afraid."
"These people are all old foxes. Unless I show them something real, they'll never be properly deterred."
After studying Victoria for a long moment, Charlotte shook her head and pressed her lips together.
"No, it's fine. This is nothing."
"Really? Good." Victoria exhaled in relief, smiling gently as she took Charlotte's hand. "You've been back for so long, and I haven't even had a proper meal with you."
"I reserved the best table at a private restaurant today. Let's go try it now."
Seeing the hope in her mother's eyes, Charlotte couldn't bring herself to refuse. She could only nod in agreement.
……
The restaurant's private room was tastefully serene, blocking out all the noise from the outside world.
Exquisite dishes arrived one after another, all of them Charlotte's favorites.
"Try this—I heard you love this shrimp." Victoria picked one up with her utensils and placed it in Charlotte's bowl, a tender smile on her face. "Oh, and this salmon too. You love this."
Watching Charlotte pick it up and put it in her mouth, Victoria's eyes filled with anticipation.
"How is it? Good?"
Meeting her gaze, Charlotte felt something stir in her chest. She nodded firmly.
"It's good."
"Wonderful." Victoria let out a breath of relief and continued serving Charlotte, as if this one meal could somehow make up for more than a decade of absence. "If you like it, eat as much as you want."
Looking down at her bowl, Charlotte found herself unable to taste anything, for some reason.
As she continued eating with her head down, Victoria watched her for a long while before finally asking the question that had been weighing on her heart.
"Were you… okay all those years away?"
Though Charlotte had been back with the Langley family for some time now, Victoria had never asked this question before.
Not because she didn't want to, but because she was afraid…
She had investigated Charlotte's past. The Johnson family had been appalling—dumping her in the countryside from childhood, never checking in, never caring.
"I was fine." Charlotte paused briefly, her answer short and to the point.
"Oh… Did anyone bully you? Or did you run into any difficulties?"
"No."
One asked, the other answered. Victoria studied her daughter's calm, somewhat distant profile, a wave of bitterness and loss washing over her.
She knew that all those years of separation had built an invisible wall between them.
No matter what she did, she couldn't seem to reach her daughter's heart.
The thought made Victoria's disappointment show plainly on her face.
The atmosphere grew somewhat stifling.
After a moment of silence, Victoria changed the subject.
"By the way, you handled the company matter excellently—more decisively and efficiently than I'd even imagined."
"It seems you really are capable of standing on your own now."
"You set things up well." Charlotte's response was measured.
Though she hadn't grown up by Victoria's side, since returning, every path Victoria had arranged for her, every teacher she'd hired, had been top-tier.
During this time, she truly hadn't suffered any real hardship.
What's more, Victoria herself was an outstanding leader, so naturally Charlotte had learned a great deal from her.
As if receiving Charlotte's approval, Victoria felt her eyes grow slightly warm.
"Now that you're capable, do whatever you want to do. I'll always support you—I'll always be your backup."