Chapter 178
"We apprehended the ringleader, Richard, at the chemical plant on the west side. He's already given a preliminary statement confirming private contact with Chloe."
"I also have phone records, wire transfer receipts, and witness testimony to corroborate this."
"So, Ms. Johnson, you'll need to come with us now."
The moment those words left her mouth, Chloe crumpled to the floor as if every ounce of strength had been drained from her body, her face twisted in disbelief.
"That's impossible... it can't be... He promised he wouldn't drag me into this..."
That single sentence hit Benjamin like a thunderbolt, leaving him completely stunned. He never imagined Chloe had actually been involved. His face turned ashen.
"Chloe, what the hell have you been doing behind my back?!"
Chloe knew there was no hiding it anymore. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
"I just... I only gave them a little information, that's all. I never thought it would turn out like this..."
"Besides, I did all of this for you, Benjamin..."
"What are you talking about?! When did I ever ask you to do any of this?!" Benjamin's expression darkened. "Chloe, you made these choices yourself—don't drag anyone else into it!"
"I'm talking nonsense?" Chloe looked at him in disbelief. "Before, didn't you say that as long as Alexander was out of the picture, you could..."
"Take her away." The female officer cut her off mid-sentence.
Several other officers stepped forward, pulling out handcuffs and snapping them around her wrists.
Now Chloe completely panicked, her voice breaking into desperate sobs.
"Benjamin, help me! I don't want to go to jail! Benjamin!"
Watching the group disappear down the hallway, Benjamin's face turned ugly, but he didn't move a muscle.
He'd spent so long scheming to get his hands on the Harris Group—he absolutely could not let anything derail him now. Absolutely not!
Meanwhile, the company executives and Harris family members exchanged glances, their expressions turning strange as their eyes drifted toward Benjamin with unspoken meaning.
Feeling their stares, Benjamin's face grew even darker, anger and humiliation warring across his features.
He gritted his teeth, shot Charlotte a cold, venomous look, and spat out, "This isn't over," before turning on his heel and storming off.
Once he left, the Harris family members—each nursing their own private agendas—stopped lingering as well, murmuring among themselves as they dispersed.
The hallway fell quiet again. Charlotte sank back onto the bench, staring blankly at the operating room doors, praying silently that Alexander would be okay.
She didn't know how much time had passed when the red light above the OR finally went dark.
Charlotte shot to her feet, her eyes locked anxiously on the doors.
A moment later, they swung open and a young male doctor stepped out, exhaustion written all over his face.
"Doctor, how is he?" Charlotte rushed forward, her voice tight with worry.
The doctor's expression was grave. He let out a heavy sigh.
"The patient is out of immediate danger, but..."
Charlotte's heart, which had just begun to settle at the first half of his sentence, lurched back up into her throat. Her face filled with dread. "But what...?"
The doctor glanced at her, pressing his lips together.
"But his condition isn't exactly stable."
"The bullet hit his left chest area. He lost a lot of blood, and he's also sustained multiple lacerations."
"We performed emergency surgery to stop the bleeding, but the trauma was severe. He'll need to be monitored closely going forward."
"Bottom line—whether he makes it through depends on tonight."
"If he gets through smoothly and his vitals stay stable, then naturally he'll start to improve."
"But if things don't go well, his recovery could be significantly prolonged."
With every word, Charlotte's face grew paler and paler.
"You should prepare yourselves mentally."
As soon as he finished speaking, a nurse emerged from the OR carrying medication.
The doctor glanced at it, then turned and headed back inside.
By the time Alexander was wheeled out, another half hour had passed.
He lay on the gurney, face deathly pale, looking utterly fragile.
Charlotte stood to the side, and when she saw him like that, she felt like she'd forgotten how to breathe.
Such a tall, imposing man reduced to this—it was almost impossible to accept.
Under the nurse's guidance, Charlotte changed into sterile scrubs before entering the ICU.
When she finally sat down beside Alexander's bed, she still felt like she was in a daze.
After a long moment, she reached out and gently took his hand. Feeling the warmth of his palm against hers, tears spilled uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"You were acting so tough back there—yelling at me in the warehouse, ordering me to leave first. And now look at you, lying here without a word."
"You promised me. You said you'd make it out alive to see me."
"If you go back on your word, I swear I won't forgive you."
Her voice began to tremble, breaking into quiet sobs.
"I used to think I could handle everything on my own. That I couldn't rely on anyone else. That feelings were unreliable. That the only person I could count on was myself."
"So I kept my guard up around you. I always kept score between us. But today, in that warehouse, when I saw you fall... that's when I realized I was wrong."
She pressed Alexander's hand firmly against her forehead, biting her lip hard as tears streamed down her face, splattering onto the floor in heavy drops.
After a long while, she let out a few shaky breaths, barely managing to pull herself together. She reached up and gently touched his pale cheek.
"Alexander, I don't want to owe you. And I'm not sitting here just because I'm grateful."
"I like you. I'm waiting for you to wake up."
The moment those words left her lips, Charlotte froze, as if something she'd been holding back for far too long had finally torn open—and now there was no taking it back.
Realizing this, she let out a bitter laugh, as if giving in. "Fine. I admit it. I've liked you for a long time now. But if you don't wake up soon, I'm taking it all back."
"How could I possibly die that easily...?"
Just then, a weak voice reached Charlotte's ears, and she went completely still.
She gasped, staring in disbelief at the man on the bed—whose eyes had opened at some point.
"You..."
"Look at you. Your eyes are all red."
After a pause, Alexander lifted his other hand and gently wiped the corner of her eye, his gaze filled with tenderness.
"I'm sorry I made you worry."
"You... how did you...?"
Charlotte felt the warmth of his fingertips against her skin, her mind still reeling. "When did you wake up? How could you...?"
"The moment you said you liked me—that's when I woke up." His voice was faint, his head resting against the pillow, his eyes soft and affectionate. "Though I have to say, the timing was perfect. If I hadn't woken up, I would've missed your confession."