Chapter 170
"Really?" Charlotte's smile deepened. She watched Chloe's desperate struggle, her eyes dark and unreadable. "You're right—one text message alone doesn't prove anything."
"But you seem to have forgotten that when a SIM card is activated and sends a message, it has to connect to a cell tower."
"So if I wanted to, I could trace exactly which cell tower that number connected to and its signal range."
Charlotte's gaze settled on Chloe's face as she slowly delivered her next words.
"And half an hour before the wedding started, that signal range happened to cover the bridal suite on the second floor of the banquet hall."
"What a coincidence, wouldn't you say? My dear sister?"
At Charlotte's words, Chloe's face went deathly pale.
She never imagined Charlotte would use cell tower triangulation!
She instinctively took a step back. Her heel caught on the sofa, her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto it in a graceless heap.
In that moment, Chloe's face was a picture of disbelief, her eyes flooded with panic. She couldn't get a single word out.
And that reaction was as good as a confession.
"Chloe?"
Benjamin stared at her, unable to hold back, his eyes full of scrutiny.
"Is what she's saying true?"
That sudden accusation was the final straw. Chloe completely fell apart.
She could throw tantrums at Charlotte, play the victim with her parents, but she absolutely could not lose Benjamin!
"No... it's not... Benjamin, let me explain!"
Chloe frantically reached for his hand, but he smoothly avoided her touch.
Watching him pull away felt like a bolt of lightning striking her.
But she quickly shifted her focus to her only lifeline—Henry.
"Dad! Do something about Charlotte! She's lost her mind! She's trying to destroy me!"
Hearing Chloe's wailing, Henry's expression turned equally ugly.
In his view, Charlotte's behavior completely disregarded the Johnson family's reputation—and his authority as her father!
With that thought, Henry's brow furrowed. He pointed straight at Charlotte's face and exploded.
"Enough! Look at yourself! Is this how a big sister acts?!"
"You deliberately came back today to cause trouble, didn't you? You want to make us all miserable!"
"I should've let you die out there when I had the chance. Now you've dragged the Johnson family's name through the mud!"
As he spoke, he even raised his hand to strike Charlotte.
But in the next instant, Alexander caught his wrist.
The man's grip locked around Henry's wrist like a vice, his eyes glacial, as if a storm was gathering within them.
"...Mr. Harris..."
Henry broke into a cold sweat immediately, his whole body trembling.
"You dare touch what's mine?"
His voice was soft, but carried an undeniable authority.
"Try it again, and you can say goodbye to that hand."
With those words, he flung Henry's arm away. Henry crashed to the floor in a pathetic heap.
He clutched his aching wrist, staring up at Alexander's ice-cold face, too terrified to utter a sound.
The entire living room fell into a deathly silence.
Susan's face had gone white with fear. She shifted, wanting to help Henry up, but too afraid of Alexander to move from where she stood.
Benjamin's expression was even worse.
He watched Charlotte standing there, perfectly protected by Alexander, and his resentment grew.
After all, he used to be the one standing by Charlotte's side!
But now she belonged to another man—no longer his.
And here he was, cleaning up the mess for a woman who was full of lies and had a heart like a snake.
In that moment, rage clouded his judgment.
He glanced at Alexander, then at Chloe crying pitifully, and on some impulse, stepped forward and pulled Chloe into his arms. His tone was stiff.
"Uncle, even if Chloe did do something wrong, that's between us."
"You coming to the Johnson Mansion today with your people and causing this scene—don't you think that's going a bit too far?"
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone in the room froze.
Chloe, feeling his broad embrace, was the first to react.
So he was choosing her side after all?!
Realizing this, Chloe quickly buried her face in Benjamin's chest with a pitiful sob.
At the same time, she shot Charlotte a triumphant, taunting look.
Charlotte caught the little performance and narrowed her eyes slightly.
She had to hand it to Chloe—she was eternally foolish, forever drowning in romance.
Even at a time like this, she couldn't resist gloating.
With that thought, Charlotte let out a laugh.
The sudden sound sent a chill through everyone present. They all instinctively turned to look at her.
Charlotte clapped her hands lightly, as if applauding a performance.
"Very good. Won't admit it, huh? Fine."
"Since you all love putting on a show, go ahead and keep performing."
With that, she had no desire to look at this family any longer. She turned directly to Alexander.
"Let's go."
Hearing her words, the man looked at her deeply, said nothing more, and simply took her hand as they turned to leave.
"Stop right there!" Henry's face changed. He scrambled up from the floor, trying to reassert his authority as head of the household.
"Charlotte! Get back here!" Susan shrieked as well.
But Charlotte acted as if she hadn't heard a thing, walking straight toward the door.
---
The black Rolls-Royce glided smoothly down the highway. Inside the car, it was utterly quiet except for the sound of their breathing.
Alexander gripped the steering wheel, eyes on the road ahead.
"They're nothing but clowns. I have a hundred ways to make them disappear from this world. Just say the word."
Hearing the man's words, Charlotte leaned back in her seat, eyes closed, exhaustion deep in her gaze.
"Now's not the time."
"Chloe's just a pawn being pushed to the front. Moving against her now would only alert the real players."
Alexander glanced at her, pressed his lips together, and said nothing more.
After about five minutes, Charlotte suddenly spoke.
"My mother is still in Richard's hands."
"For Chloe to have connected with Bloodaxe, there must be someone pulling strings behind the scenes."
"And that person is most likely Richard—or someone connected to him."
"So I have to keep Chloe around and follow the trail all the way back to root out everyone involved."
Hearing this, Alexander didn't respond with words. Instead, he reached out and placed his right hand over hers, silently transmitting his support and strength through his warmth.
---
Meanwhile, back at the Johnson Mansion.
After seeing Benjamin off, Chloe rushed back to her room and locked the door behind her.
She leaned against the door, gasping for breath, her face twisted with distress.
Just thinking about everything that had happened today made her tremble uncontrollably.
She'd come so close to being finished—finished!
Chloe bit down hard, her eyes turning dark and sinister.
No. She couldn't just let this go.
Knowing Charlotte the way she did, if she'd failed to kill her, Charlotte would definitely come back for revenge!
She had to come up with something—some way to eliminate Charlotte for good before Charlotte made her move!