Chapter 109
Charlotte stared at the strange man standing in front of her, her face frozen in shock, completely lost.
Who was he? Why did he save her?
By now, the security guards and police on the scene had snapped back to their senses and quickly moved in to restrain the emotionally unstable woman.
But even so, she kept struggling wildly, screaming and crying.
Looking at that grief-stricken, twisted face, Charlotte felt a sharp pang in her chest. She stepped forward quickly and spoke to the officers holding the woman.
"Please don't hurt her. She's just overwhelmed."
Then she turned to look at the man in the understated black suit. She was about to say something when the corner of her eye caught a black Maybach screeching to a stop nearby.
The car had barely stopped before the door was shoved open and Alexander came rushing toward her.
In front of everyone's stunned eyes, he pulled Charlotte into a tight embrace.
The veins faintly raised on the back of his hands gave away just how tense he was. Those usually calm, deep dark eyes were now filled with lingering fear and barely contained fury.
His arms held her so tight it hurt, but Charlotte knew it was because he was scared for her.
"I'm fine."
She leaned against him and gently patted his back. "Don't worry. See? I'm perfectly okay."
Alexander seemed not to hear her. He took a few deep breaths, then loosened his hold, cupped her face in his hands, and looked her over carefully from head to toe. Only after confirming she was truly unharmed did the tension in his expression ease — just a little.
But a moment later, a shadow crept into his eyes.
He slowly turned his head, his cold gaze sweeping across everyone present. Then he clenched his jaw, his chest rising and falling sharply.
"They set you up."
The words, ground out through gritted teeth, caught Charlotte off guard. Then it hit her — he had most likely already found out exactly what had happened.
Thinking about how he had rushed over in such a panic, Charlotte felt something stir in her chest. She pressed her lips together and spoke softly.
"I know. But I'm fine, and as you can see, I'm already handling it."
"Handling it?"
Alexander frowned and looked at her, his eyes full of worry. "Do you have any idea what could have happened if my people had been even one second later? Charlotte, this isn't a game."
Then he pressed his lips together, his eyes fixed on her, his voice low and serious.
"Promise me you won't put yourself in danger like this again. I really do worry about you."
His words made Charlotte's heart soften. Her eyes flickered for a moment — but then she smiled. "It's fine. I know what I'm doing."
"Okay. Let's deal with everything else first."
She turned to the reporters on the scene and spoke up clearly.
"I've already made my commitment, and I ask that you give us a little more time. For now, please allow me to attend to the family members first."
"As for the investigation and how things will be handled going forward, the Langley Group will provide regular updates to the public and the media through official channels. Please be patient."
The reporters looked at each other, then glanced at the family member still in distress. Most of them lowered their cameras.
With that taken care of, Charlotte didn't linger. Escorted by Alexander and the black-suited bodyguards, she walked toward the Maybach.
The car door shut, and the noise outside was completely cut off.
Alexander didn't start the car right away. Instead, he reached into the storage compartment, pulled out a bottle of water, and handed it to her.
"Have some water."
Charlotte took it but didn't drink. She just held it in her hands, her eyes distant.
Seeing that, he was about to say something — but just then, her personal phone buzzed sharply.
An encrypted number.
But one look and Charlotte knew exactly who it was.
"Charlie, are you okay?! I saw the news! Those bastards! How dare they?!"
Victoria's voice came through the phone, barely holding back her fury.
"I'm fine. Not a scratch."Charlotte's voice was much gentler now, trying to calm Victoria down.
"Not a scratch? You almost got hurt! No — come home right now." Victoria's voice shot up, clearly furious beyond words. "Forget that mess at the Langley Group! I'll handle this myself! I'd like to see who has the nerve to go after my daughter!"
Victoria's sharp, decisive energy and commanding presence came pouring through the phone, bringing with it that familiar, deeply reassuring feeling.
Charlotte knew she was genuinely worried.
But Charlotte didn't want to do it that way. She had her own plan.
"I have to handle this myself." Charlotte's voice was calm but absolutely firm. "They came after me, so I can't afford to hide."
"If I can't even weather something like this, how am I supposed to hold my ground at the company?"
"Besides, if you step in to help me, it'll only make them think I'm just a fragile little flower who needs protecting. They'll look down on me even more and come at me with worse tactics."
Charlotte's eyes darkened, her lips pressed into a tight line.
"I'm going to find out who's behind this and make sure they know I'm not someone they can push around."
"So please trust me — and please stay out of it. Just watch me handle it."
After hearing Charlotte out, the other end of the line went quiet for a long time.
Finally, Victoria gave in. She let out a long sigh.
"Alright… Just remember — I will always have your back. Whatever you need, just say the word."
"I know. Thank you."
She hung up and set the phone aside.
Charlotte noticed that Alexander had been watching her in silence the whole time.
"Your mother is right, you know. You should put your own safety first, not—"
"I know. But sometimes things move fast and you don't have the luxury of thinking it all through." Charlotte looked at him steadily, each word deliberate. "But I know what I'm doing."
Alexander stared at her for a long moment before finally looking away, saying nothing more.
At that same moment, in another office at the Langley Group, the atmosphere couldn't have been more different — heavy and suffocating.
Nora stared at the latest news coverage of "Lakeside Estates" on her tablet, her face dark with rage.
"Useless idiots!"
She slammed the tablet onto the floor. The screen shattered instantly, reflecting her twisted, ugly expression back at her.
Everything she had arranged had been so perfectly planned — or so she thought. But reality had told a very different story.
Charlotte had stayed completely composed in front of the media and handled everything without leaving a single opening.
And then Alexander had swooped in like some knight in shining armor, which meant Charlotte not only came out completely unscathed but had even managed to score points with the media for the whole romantic display.
The more Nora thought about it, the angrier she got. She grabbed her phone off the desk and dialed a number with no name attached.