Chapter 8
The news about Queen's identity being exposed and Chloe's plagiarism caused an uproar throughout the night.
Charlotte slept peacefully in her mansion, completely unbothered by the chaos outside.
It was Chloe who was humiliated, and the Johnson family who was thrown into turmoil.
This was what happened to those who crossed her. From now on, she would show the Johnson family no mercy.
The next day.
At six in the morning, a light mist hung over the entire estate.
Charlotte wore workout clothes and headphones, jogging along the tree-lined paths of the mansion area. After eight kilometers, her breathing was still steady, showing no signs of fatigue.
Compared to the intensity of her combat training, this exercise was as easy as drinking water.
Charlotte listened to piano music through her headphones and circled back to her mansion entrance, only to notice a car parked outside the neighboring mansion.
Outside the car, a driver respectfully opened the rear door.
A figure in black appeared before Charlotte's eyes. The man had deep-set features, his black suit highlighting his broad shoulders and narrow waist, exuding a lazy elegance mixed with nobility.
It was Alexander.
Charlotte unconsciously stopped in her tracks, standing at a distance.
She glanced at Edward's mansion, understanding the situation, and was about to leave when Alexander suddenly seemed to sense her presence and looked over.
Their eyes met. Alexander casually curved his lips, his gaze carrying clear scrutiny.
"Ms. Johnson, up so early?"
Charlotte pulled her headphones down to hang around her neck and nodded coolly. "Morning, Mr. Harris."
She was somewhat surprised that Alexander initiated the greeting.
At yesterday's engagement party, they'd had no interaction. It was strange that Alexander was now striking up a conversation.
Charlotte greeted him and was about to leave, but Alexander spoke again.
"My father says you play piano very well and that you're his friend despite the age gap. He lives here alone and gets lonely, so it's good he's made a friend like you."
As he spoke, he had already walked up to Charlotte.
In the morning light, Charlotte's face was fair with a rosy glow, vivid and bright, except for her eyes—which should have looked innocent—but instead appeared deep and calm, showing a composure beyond her years.
Alexander's gaze grew more interested.
Charlotte said calmly, "You're too kind. I just play casually. Edward appreciates me, that's all. If there's nothing else..."
"Did you really go yesterday out of kindness to deliver an engagement gift?" Alexander seemed oblivious to her desire to leave.
Charlotte paused, instinctively asking, "What?"
Alexander said with a half-smile, "I heard about what happened yesterday. Benjamin said you two knew each other before, and that you went to ruin the engagement party specifically because of him?"
His words carried obvious probing.
Charlotte felt uncomfortable and couldn't figure out Alexander's intentions. Was he afraid she'd ruin Benjamin's marriage? Or did he have some other agenda?
Charlotte said coolly, "I wouldn't say we know each other."
"Then what's the situation? Can you tell me?" Alexander pressed further.
Charlotte smiled slightly, though her eyes remained cold. "I'm just a country bumpkin with no knowledge of the world. How could I possibly have connections with someone like Benjamin? You're overthinking it. I don't know him."
Seeing her insist on denial, Alexander didn't push further.
He casually put one hand in his pocket. "My father really appreciates you. He lives here alone, rarely goes out, and is seldom disturbed. It's rare for him to mention you to me several times. You're welcome to visit my father often."
Charlotte increasingly felt he had ulterior motives. His few sentences were full of probing, as if he was worried she might have contact with Benjamin.
She said politely, "I'll definitely visit when I have the chance."
Alexander's thin lips parted, but before he could speak, Charlotte cut in. "I just finished exercising and I'm all sweaty and uncomfortable. If there's nothing else, I'm going back to shower."
Without waiting for Alexander's response, Charlotte turned and left, as if fleeing from some monster.
Alexander raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise and laughed unexpectedly at the absurdity.
Every woman in Imperial City without exception threw themselves at him. This was the first time he'd seen someone avoid him so desperately.
"Boss, what's wrong?" the driver asked curiously from behind.
Alexander came back to his senses and smiled with amusement. "Nothing. Let's go back."
Charlotte also returned to her mansion.
As soon as she entered, the butler came forward with a bottle of water. "That was Mr. Harris just now, wasn't it?"
Charlotte unscrewed the cap and took a sip, saying coolly, "Yeah, why?"
The butler said in amazement, "That's the first time I've seen him talk to a woman for so long. Rumor has it that the head of the Harris family keeps his distance from women and rarely interacts with them."
Charlotte made a sound of acknowledgment and raised an eyebrow. "So I should feel honored that he talked to me?"
The butler froze and quickly waved his hands. "No, no, that's not what I meant."
Charlotte ignored him and went straight upstairs to her room. Just as she was about to shower, her computer suddenly made a deep ding sound.
Charlotte's eyes sharpened—there was activity on her hacker account's backend.
Charlotte immediately sat down and logged into the backend, only to discover that someone had sent her a huge bounty.
The bounty transfer note didn't mention Zero, but brazenly wrote her real name: Charlotte.
She'd hidden her hacker identity for so long, and no one had ever discovered her real identity.
How could someone know her real name?
A cold, wary light appeared in Charlotte's eyes. She traced the bounty account to find the IP address, but suddenly the computer flickered several times and began displaying jumbled, chaotic code.
After flashing twice more, the screen went completely black.
Charlotte's pretty eyebrows lifted slightly.
Well, well—someone actually dared to hack her computer?
Charlotte's competitive spirit was aroused, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes gradually filling with cold light.
But just then, the screen flickered again and slowly displayed several large words:
"I'm about to find you."
This...
Was it him?