Chapter 121
The moment those words left his mouth, before the doctor could even approach, Alexander forced him back with a single icy glare.
"That won't be necessary. I'll do it."
With that, he took the medical kit from the doctor's hands.
Ignoring the stunned looks from everyone else, he half-supported, half-carried Charlotte toward the second-floor sitting room.
Inside, warm amber light spilled down from above, casting a soft glow over the furnishings.
Alexander settled Charlotte onto the plush sofa, then carefully eased off the suit jacket she wore, revealing her injured arm.
After over an hour's delay, the wound on her arm looked increasingly vicious and horrifying.
At the sight of this alarming scene, Alexander's breathing hitched noticeably.
His long lashes cast shadows beneath his eyes, but the menacing edge in his gaze was unmistakable as it slowly surfaced.
"Does it hurt?"
His voice trembled slightly as his fingers gently brushed over the bruised area.
Charlotte shook her head. "It doesn't hurt."
She'd navigated through gunfire before, suffered far worse injuries than this—so really, this was nothing.
"At least the bone isn't damaged. If it had been..."
Alexander's words trailed off, but the fury in his tone was impossible to hide.
He drew a deep breath, then dipped a cotton swab in antiseptic and carefully dabbed it onto Charlotte's skin.
The meticulous care, the intense focus—it was as if he weren't treating a wound at all, but restoring some priceless, irreplaceable treasure.
Watching him handle her so carefully, Charlotte's heartbeat skipped without warning.
The sitting room was quiet, filled only with the sound of their breathing. The sharp, astringent scent of antiseptic mingled with the clean, crisp notes of his woody cologne, weaving together into an invisible net that enveloped her completely, impossible to escape.
"Don't do this again."
His sudden words broke the silence.
"What?" Charlotte was caught off guard, not immediately understanding.
Alexander tossed aside the cotton swab and lifted his head, those deep blue eyes locking onto her with laser focus.
"If you ever use your own body to shield someone from a blade or a club again, Charlotte..."
He paused, then continued, word by word. "I will actually lose my mind."
At those words, Charlotte's heart jolted. Instinctively, she looked at him.
Deep in his eyes lay an intensity of fear, quietly watching her.
Charlotte felt as though an invisible hand had squeezed her heart, leaving her momentarily dazed.
"I..."
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but the words wouldn't come.
What could she say?
[I'm used to it]? Or maybe [I'll be more careful next time]?
Nothing seemed right.
Just as she struggled with what to say, a soft knock came at the sitting room door, and Victoria's voice drifted in from outside.
"Charlie, Mr. Harris, may I come in?"
Clearly, after handling everything downstairs, Victoria was still worried and had come up to check on them.
The moment Alexander heard her voice, the obsessive emotion in his eyes vanished like lightning. He turned his head slightly.
"Ms. Langley, please come in."
Creak. The door swung open, and Victoria's gaze immediately landed on the wound on Charlotte's arm. Her heart clenched sharply.
"Charlie, your injury is so serious—this is all my fault. If I had just—"
"It's not your fault." Charlotte could see the guilt written all over her face and shook her head, her tone still calm. "No one could have predicted this would happen."
Victoria wanted to say more, but Charlotte steered the conversation elsewhere.
"By the way, how did the investigation go?"
"Ah, it's not that simple." Victoria sighed.
The Langley family, as a century-old dynasty, had grown tangled and convoluted inside—some parts were already rotten to the core.
Rooting out the culprits quickly? Easier said than done.
But she wouldn't let this go.
Those who'd hurt her daughter would pay.
"Charlie, from now on, don't worry about this anymore. Leave the rest to me. You just focus on healing, all right?"
Seeing Victoria's resolute expression, Charlotte fell silent for a moment.
She knew Victoria was trying to protect her.
But Charlotte couldn't shake the feeling that this incident wasn't as simple as it appeared. The Langley family might be greedy, but ultimately, they were just small-time fools.
To orchestrate such a meticulously planned assassination, layer upon layer—there had to be someone more powerful pulling strings behind the scenes. Charlotte refused to believe otherwise.
And of course, now that they'd failed, they'd undoubtedly try again.
With that thought, Charlotte pressed her lips together and nodded. "Okay. I understand."
Then she lowered her eyes, a flicker of contemplation passing through their depths.
Victoria didn't notice Charlotte's subtle shift. After offering a few more comforting words, she turned to Alexander, who had remained silent throughout, her expression complicated.
"Mr. Harris, we really owe you for today."
"But it's getting late now. I'll have the driver take you home."
"As for everything else... I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on things."
"It's no trouble." Alexander shook his head. Then, from the medical kit beside him, he retrieved a tube of bruise ointment and several rolls of fresh gauze, setting them on the coffee table. His voice was low as he instructed, "Don't get the wound wet for twenty-four hours. Apply the ointment three times a day."
"If it still hurts badly the day after tomorrow, make sure you go to the hospital."
Listening to his detailed instructions, Charlotte nodded. "I'll remember. Drive safely."
Alexander hummed in acknowledgment. Finally, after one last lingering look at Charlotte, he turned and left.
...
Meanwhile, in Charles's study—
Smash!
An expensive teacup was hurled violently to the floor, shattering instantly into pieces. Tea splattered across the pristine white carpet, leaving ugly stains behind.
Charles trembled with rage, his face flushed a deep, liver-colored red.
"Idiot! How did I end up with such a useless, incompetent idiot for a daughter!"
Nora shook uncontrollably under his tirade, curling in on herself.
"Dad... I'm sorry... I just wanted to teach Charlotte a lesson. I didn't think things would turn out like this..."
"A lesson?!" Charles laughed bitterly, teeth gritted. "Is this what you call a lesson—one that leaves evidence everywhere?!"
"Now look what you've done! She's still alive, Alexander's gotten involved, and he's taken all those men with him! So tell me—how the hell do we clean up this mess now?!"
Charles's eyes were bloodshot, his expression growing increasingly vicious.
He'd admit it—he coveted the Langley Group fortune. He wished Victoria and Charlotte would just disappear. But he knew now wasn't the time to make a move.