Chapter 233: A Door-to-Door Apology
On the other end of the line, Kismet's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to sound composed: "Charles, what's this about? I'm a bit busy right now."
"Ten minutes. Don't make me wait, or you'll regret it." Charles hung up without giving Kismet any chance to refuse.
While waiting for Kismet, Charles deliberately texted Emily: "Honey, I'm meeting with Kismet in Kate's office. Just keeping you in the loop."
Emily quickly replied: "Got it. I trust you. Just don't be too harsh—she is your childhood friend, after all."
Charles smiled slightly at the message and typed back: "You're the person I care about most."
Ten minutes later, Kismet appeared punctually at Kate's office door. She had dressed carefully, wearing an elegant dress and a perfectly composed smile.
"Charles, you wanted to see me?" Kismet asked softly.
Charles didn't even invite her to sit. He stood by the window with his back to her, speaking coldly: "I'm warning you—don't make any more moves against Emily. This is your final reminder. Otherwise, don't blame me for forgetting our years of friendship."
Kismet's heart lurched. Did Charles really know about the necklace incident? But she quickly steadied herself, feigning innocence: "Charles, what are you talking about? I've always been respectful toward Emily. Is there some misunderstanding?"
Charles turned around. "Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, you know the truth. I've said what I needed to say. Consider yourself warned."
Looking at Charles's stern expression, Kismet bit her lip hard. She refused to believe Charles could be this heartless toward her! They'd grown up together—how could he feel nothing for her at all? That bitch Emily must have poisoned his mind against her!
Besides, with Ollie backing her, Charles wouldn't dare actually do anything to her. The more Kismet thought about it, the angrier she became, and she decided to continue making trouble for Emily.
She deliberately went to an art auction and spent heavily on a painting by an oil master that Ollie particularly admired. Early the next morning, she brought the painting to visit Ollie.
"Great-uncle, this is a special gift I found for you. Knowing how much you love this artist's work, I pulled many strings to locate this piece." Kismet presented the beautifully wrapped painting.
Ollie's eyes lit up at the sight of the artwork. "Kismet, how thoughtful of you. If only Charles were half as considerate."
"Charles is just temporarily... influenced. I'm sure he'll come to understand your good intentions eventually."
After some small talk, Ollie noticed her distracted state: "You seem unsettled. Something on your mind?"
"Nothing escapes your notice. Actually, I came here today because there's something I need to report to you."
"What is it? Speak up."
Kismet put on a deeply worried expression: "The situation at the training camp isn't good. Ever since Charles publicly proposed to Emily, the whole place has been in an uproar. The trainees can't focus on their training anymore."
Ollie frowned. "Explain."
Kismet embellished her story: "Everyone's talking about how the evaluations have never been this publicized before. It's obviously special treatment for Emily—completely unfair. Now everyone's resentful and distracted during training. They're unanimously demanding Emily's dismissal to restore proper discipline."
She watched Ollie's expression carefully and continued stirring the pot: "I don't think this can continue. It's affecting the entire camp's discipline and atmosphere. You need to intervene."
Just then, the doorbell rang. The butler announced Charles's arrival.
Ollie seemed surprised: "Show him in."
Charles entered carrying an elegant gift box, his brow furrowing slightly when he saw Kismet.
Kismet immediately put on a wounded expression: "Charles, perfect timing. I was just discussing the camp situation with great-uncle."
Charles cut her off coldly: "You don't need to explain. I heard everything. The previous evaluation was a character test for all trainees, not something created specifically for Emily. As one of the planning committee members, you should know this. If anyone has complaints, they can speak directly to Kate, or if Kate can't resolve it, they can come to me personally. There's no need for these behind-the-scenes maneuvers!"
Ollie, irritated by the bickering, waved his hand impatiently: "Enough! Both of you, stop! Kismet, you may go."
Kismet shot a resentful glare at Nathan behind Charles but didn't dare defy Ollie's order. She reluctantly rose and took her leave.
After Kismet left, Charles placed his gift box on the table: "Great-uncle, this is an apology gift I specially brought for you—premium coffee beans from that brand you love most."
Ollie looked surprised: "An apology?"
Charles spoke sincerely: "Yes, great-uncle. I misunderstood you before. I thought you might resort to underhanded tactics against Emily, and I said many inappropriate things. Later, Emily reminded me that you're not that kind of person."
He opened the gift box, revealing Ollie's favorite rare coffee beans: "Emily said that while you're strict, you conduct yourself honorably and would never do anything underhanded. She insisted I come apologize to you."
Ollie stared at the coffee beans in silence. These were indeed his favorite variety—extremely limited annual production, very difficult to acquire. Charles's ability to find them showed genuine effort.
What surprised him more was that this was Emily's idea.
Ollie slowly spoke: "This Emily... she's more sensible than I expected."
Charles seized the opportunity: "Emily has always respected you. She said your strict standards for the Windsor family are all for the family's benefit, and she understands your good intentions."
Ollie snorted, but his tone had softened: "At least you have some conscience. But the testing continues! Being a Windsor family member isn't easy!"
"Thank you, great-uncle." Charles breathed a sigh of relief. "Test her as much as you like—Emily said she'll definitely pass! She specifically asked that you not go easy on her. Oh, and these beans were also Emily's idea—she had people go to the origin farms to purchase them at premium prices."
Hearing this, Ollie's impression of Emily improved slightly. Someone who could read his character and be so thoughtful was indeed rare.
Ollie waved dismissively: "Alright, alright. As if I'd hold grudges against a younger generation over such trivial matters. I'll accept the coffee. Now go."
After Charles left, Ollie gazed at the coffee beans thoughtfully. Perhaps this Emily really wasn't as simple as he'd assumed.
Meanwhile, Kismet hadn't actually gone far. She'd hidden in the surveillance room outside Windsor Manor, eavesdropping. When she heard Charles say Emily had arranged the apology and bought Ollie's favorite coffee beans, she was so furious her nails dug into her palms.
Emily! Always Emily!
That bitch had not only stolen Charles but was now playing the good person in front of Ollie! Noticing details like coffee bean preferences—clearly a calculated move to win Ollie's favor!
A vicious glint flashed in Kismet's eyes. She absolutely wouldn't let Emily win everyone's affection! Since neither direct nor indirect approaches worked, she'd have to try a different method.