Chapter 120
In that split second between life and death—
Whoosh!
A sharp whistle cut through the air. The thug gripping the machete suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream, clutching his wrist.
Charlotte looked closer and spotted a silver cufflink now embedded in his wrist, blood dripping down his forearm.
Before she could process what had happened, a series of dull thuds followed in rapid succession.
The thugs surrounding Charlotte seemed struck by an invisible force. One by one, they screamed and flew backward, crashing into walls and crumpling to the ground, completely incapacitated.
The next moment, several black sedans appeared like ghosts, silent and swift. They screeched to a halt, and a group of bodyguards in black suits poured out.
Their movements were crisp and efficient. With military precision, they subdued the remaining thugs.
The whole thing happened so fast—mere seconds—and the situation had completely reversed.
Charlotte clutched her injured arm and looked up, just in time to see Alexander stepping out of one of the cars.
The gentle warmth that usually graced his features was gone. His eyes were filled with murderous intent.
The moment he saw Charlotte's pale face and her arm, his expression darkened. He strode toward her quickly.
"Are you okay?"
He carefully lifted her arm. When he saw the massive purple-blue bruise and the scattered wounds, his face turned stormy. "Does it hurt?"
"It's nothing serious." Charlotte shook her head.
At her response, the man's jawline tightened.
He then removed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders, covering the wounds on her arm and blocking out the chill as darkness descended.
Just then, a bodyguard approached, his expression respectful.
"Mr. Harris, these men..."
"Clean it up." The man's tone was ice-cold, devoid of any warmth.
Hearing this, the thugs nearly lost their minds with terror and began begging frantically.
"Mr. Harris, we were forced into this!"
But Alexander remained completely unmoved, his expression unwavering.
In his view, since these people had chosen to harm Charlotte, they had better be prepared to face the worst consequences.
At that moment, Victoria finally snapped out of her shock and lingering fear.
She looked at the man with his commanding presence, then at the undisguised concern on his face for her daughter. Her expression grew complicated.
She opened the car door and approached him, offering her thanks solemnly.
"Thank you, Mr. Harris, for coming to our rescue."
Alexander shifted his gaze to her and nodded slightly, his face wearing its usual polite smile.
"Ms. Langley, I'm sorry you had to go through that."
Charlotte suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at him with curiosity.
"Wait, how did you happen to be here?"
At her question, emotions flickered in the depths of Alexander's eyes, but he chose not to hide the truth.
"After what happened with the masked man last time, I couldn't stop worrying about you. So I arranged for someone to follow you discreetly."
"Today he reported that a vehicle had been tailing yours—looked suspicious—so I came."
Thank God he'd made it in time.
Thinking back to what had just happened, Alexander felt a wave of fear.
If something had actually happened to Charlotte, what would he have done?
After hearing his explanation, Charlotte felt something strike her heart, stirring an unfamiliar tenderness.
She pressed her lips together, her gaze falling on the thugs lying on the ground not far away—joints dislocated, unable even to scream.
Taking in the scene, Charlotte narrowed her eyes, a glint flashing across them.
"Don't kill them yet. I want to know who sent them."
She started to move forward.
But a large hand gripped her shoulder—not hard, but with an undeniable firmness.
"Don't. You'll dirty your hands. Leave it to me."
"These people who laid hands on you—and whoever's pulling the strings behind them—I won't let any of them get away!"
Hearing his promise, Charlotte looked up at him.
Seeing the fury blazing in those deep eyes, she thought for a moment. This time, she didn't refuse. She nodded.
"All right. I'll leave it to you."
Listening to their exchange, Victoria seemed to realize something, her eyes darkening slightly.
An ordinary person couldn't have tracked their route so precisely, or set up an ambush on the only road they'd take.
Considering the recent undercurrents among the old families, Victoria had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
But seeing Charlotte's face, pale and weakened from injury, she decided not to say anything.
Charlotte had only just returned to her side. She didn't want those filthy power games among the elite families reaching her daughter's ears so soon.
Besides, with her around, she could shield Charlotte from the storms outside.
Having made up her mind, Victoria approached Alexander.
She took a deep breath, her gaze shifting from scrutiny to something like approval.
"Mr. Harris, we owe you a great debt today. This isn't the right time, but I'll come by another day with a proper gift to express my gratitude."
"You're too kind." Alexander shook his head, his expression distant yet polite. "Protecting Charlie is what I should do. There's no need for formalities."
Hearing his words, Victoria studied him for a long moment, then said nothing more.
Alexander's men worked quickly. Before long, the scene had been cleaned up completely, as if nothing had ever happened.
On the way back, they rode in Alexander's bulletproof car. The reinforced doors could withstand standard-caliber bullets.
The atmosphere inside was exceptionally quiet. Victoria sat in the front seat, occasionally glancing at the two in the back through the rearview mirror.
Since getting in the car, Alexander had maintained a half-embrace around Charlotte, never once letting go.
It looked protective, but there was also an element of possessiveness to it.
And Charlotte, who normally resisted close contact with anyone, showed no reaction. She simply rested quietly in his arms.
Perhaps having such a powerful person at Charlotte's side wasn't such a bad thing after all.
Victoria thought this to herself, pressed her lips together, and looked away.
By the time they returned to the brightly lit Langley Estate, night had fully fallen.
The butler, having received a call earlier, was waiting at the entrance with the private medical team.
Seeing them return safely, the butler breathed a sigh of relief.
But the next moment, his sharp eyes caught sight of Charlotte's seemingly immobile arm. Sensing something was wrong, he immediately addressed the family doctor beside him.
"Quick, doctor, please examine Ms. Charlotte Langley. She appears to be injured."