Chapter 41
Charles ignored Nora and walked straight up to Charlotte, studying her carefully.
"You look just like her, you really look like your mother. Everyone has missed you so much all these years you've been away. Do you know who I am?"
Nora was completely stunned when she heard this.
What was going on?
What did she just hear?
Charlotte remained calm the whole time, and simply nodded slightly at his words.
"Yes, I know who you are. You're my uncle Charles."
At these words, Nora gasped in shock.
Did she hear that right?
Charlotte was that cousin who had been missing for over twenty years and was only recently found?!
Nora stared at Charlotte in disbelief, then looked at her father's tearful face.
"Dad, what are you talking about? How could she possibly be my long-lost cousin!"
Hearing Nora's foolish words, Charles held back the tears that were about to fall.
He scolded her angrily, "She's Victoria's daughter, your own cousin! Is this how you treat her?"
"It's her first day at work, she was trying to help you establish proper rules in the sales department, and this is how you treat her!"
Nora was completely stunned.
She never imagined that the person she'd been making things difficult for was actually the true heiress of the Langley family, the heir holding seventy-five percent of the Langley Group shares!
And Victoria's biological daughter that she'd been searching for over twenty years!
While she was just a minor member of a branch family, without even any shares in the Langley family.
Yet she had put on airs in front of the real heir...
Nora felt her legs go weak.
In an instant, she realized she had offended both Victoria and Charlotte.
Nora could barely stand.
Charles stood with his hands behind his back, scolding her coldly, "Even if you didn't know her identity, you shouldn't treat a new employee this way!"
"If your grandparents and Victoria knew how you're acting now, what kind of image do you think you'd have in their eyes?"
Nora was terrified and completely lost, deeply regretting going against Charlotte.
She shook her head and cried, "Dad, I'm sorry, I didn't know, I really didn't know she was..."
Through her tears, she looked at Charlotte, wanting to apologize but not daring to approach.
She finally understood why Charlotte's gaze had such a powerful presence and felt so familiar.
Charlotte's eyes were exactly like Victoria's.
Victoria had always been kind and gentle with the younger generation since Nora could remember.
But when it came to serious matters or when they did something wrong, Victoria would look at them with those cold, humorless eyes, which always made the younger ones fearful.
The look Charlotte was giving her now was exactly like Victoria's!
And she had just been showing off in front of the real heir!
Nora felt dizzy.
Charles commanded coldly, "Now that you know her identity, from today on you'll cooperate with her work. Understand?"
Nora felt completely humiliated.
She glanced carefully at Charlotte, and only dared to nod when she saw Charlotte wasn't saying anything.
Charlotte spoke up.
"Mr. Langley."
Charles felt a pang of sadness.
"You... you can call me Uncle Charles. We're all family."
Charlotte paused, but still didn't follow his suggestion to call him uncle.
To her, these relatives were people she'd never had contact with before.
If not for the blood relationship, they were no different from strangers.
She wasn't in the mood to call him that yet.
"I've already drafted the rules and regulations. From now on, I hope Nora can cooperate."
Charles immediately pulled Nora over.
"What are you standing there for? Charlotte has said so, shouldn't you say something!"
Nora had completely lost her earlier arrogance and could only walk up to Charlotte with her head down.
She only dared to look at Charlotte's feet. "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you. I was blind and didn't recognize you, and I haven't been managing the sales department properly all this time."
"From now on I'll listen to you. I hope you won't hold this against me or be angry with me."
Charlotte didn't waste more words with Nora.
Essentially, she was only thinking about the company's discipline and culture.
Charlotte said calmly, "Since we've reached an understanding, that's fine. Mr. Langley, you should go back now. You're busy with work, I won't take up more of your time."
She was dismissing him, remaining cold and distant throughout, which made Charles feel uncomfortable.
He couldn't help thinking that if Charlotte had grown up in the Langley family, how carefree she would have been.
She wouldn't be so cold and unapproachable now.
He knew that maybe Charlotte's demeanor was just a shell she used to protect herself.
But for a young woman who should be innocent and carefree to have such presence made him both proud and heartbroken.
Charles sighed and removed a cufflink from his sleeve, handing it to Charlotte.
"Charlotte, this is our first meeting. Your mother told me you don't want to return to the Langley family and appear publicly before the recognition ceremony."
"I've always wanted to meet you, and I've always had a gift prepared for you at home, but today's meeting was too sudden and I didn't have time to bring the gift I wanted to give you. So I'll give you this cufflink."
Nora's eyes widened when she saw the sapphire cufflink, and she stepped forward in shock.
"Daddy, you..."
Charles glanced at her, signaling her not to speak.
Charlotte's expression changed slightly as she accepted it with interest.
"Alright, thanks then."
She still wouldn't call him uncle.
Charles felt uncomfortable but didn't say anything more, just smiled at her.
"Okay, I won't disturb you then. Continue with your work."
With that, he sighed softly, turned and left.
Nora bit her lip. She had no choice but to follow him out.
Charlotte held up the cufflink, examining it in the sunlight.
The sunlight refracted through the cufflink, creating a dazzling blue glow.
Lily marveled beside her.
"That's the symbol of ownership of the Sapphire Hotel."
Charles was the owner of the Sapphire Hotel, and everyone who stayed there was someone important in society.
Even so, anyone wanting to stay had to call and get Charles's approval.
This sapphire cufflink was both the hotel's emblem and a symbol of his identity as the hotel's owner.
By giving it to Charlotte, Charles was indicating he wanted to give her this top luxury hotel.