Chapter 124
"Enough, I don't want to hear it. Stop trying to snow me with that nonsense! You think I don't know you?" Benjamin let out a cold laugh, his eyes full of impatience and mockery. "If Grandpa really cared about you, would he barely even look at you?"
"Look at Charlotte—she doesn't have to do a thing, and Grandpa still dotes on her!"
"Chloe, spare me the wounded act. Playing the victim just makes me sick!"
With that, Benjamin didn't spare her another glance and headed straight for the dining room.
After being humiliated like that, Chloe's face cycled through shades of red and white.
She'd never been treated this way in her entire life!
And the fact that it came from her fiancé—at least on paper—made her all the more furious!
But she wasn't about to leave.
Doing that would only give them exactly what they wanted.
She bit down hard, forced a meek smile onto her face, and hurried after him.
In the dining room, the table was already laden with exquisite dishes. Edward sat at the head, Charlotte on his right, and Alexander beside her.
When Benjamin and Chloe entered and saw the lively scene, their expressions were unreadable.
Throughout the meal, Edward kept piling food onto Charlotte's plate.
"Charlie, eat more. Look how thin you've gotten."
"Try this..."
Watching the small mountain growing on her plate, Charlotte felt a bit helpless. "Thank you, that's enough. I can manage."
Alexander, noticing this, smiled faintly and naturally poured her a glass of water, placing it within easy reach. So thoughtful.
Watching this unfold, Chloe's eyes turned red with jealousy.
Everyone at this table revolved around Charlotte, as if she didn't even exist.
Gritting her teeth, she plastered on a smile and proactively picked up her utensils to serve Edward a delicate pastry.
"Grandpa, Benjamin mentioned your appetite hasn't been great lately. This yam cake is excellent for digestion. Please, try some..."
But before her utensils could even touch down, Edward waved her off impatiently.
"Take it away, take it away. I don't like sweets."
"Gia, move that pan-seared cod closer to Charlie. She loves it."
Chloe's utensils hung suspended in midair—she couldn't set them down, couldn't pull them back.
Feeling the servants' eyes subtly landing on her, Chloe's face turned paper-white.
She looked to Benjamin for help, but he just kept eating, ignoring her completely.
In that instant, Chloe froze entirely.
Finally, mercifully, the torturous dinner came to an end.
Edward, getting on in years, was helped upstairs by the butler to rest after the meal.
Alexander and Benjamin went to the study together to discuss company matters, leaving only Charlotte and Chloe in the living room.
Charlotte checked the time, decided she needed some air, and headed for the garden corridor without a word.
The moment she left, Chloe glanced around. Seeing the servants busy in the dining room, she immediately followed.
The corridor lighting was dim, moonlight spilling across the stone path in cold, pale streaks.
"Charlotte, stop right there!"
Chloe's shrill voice cut through the quiet. Charlotte frowned slightly but stopped and turned, her expression calm as she watched the woman storm toward her.
"Can I help you?"
Seeing Charlotte's indifferent expression, Chloe clenched her fists.
All the anger from dinner surged up at once. She couldn't hold it in anymore and hissed at Charlotte in a low, venomous voice.
"Charlotte, stop acting all high and mighty with me!"
"You think sucking up to Edward means you can secure your place in the Harris family?! Let me tell you—Alexander only values you because of your position at the Langley Group right now. He's using you!"
"Once the Langley Group gets swallowed up by the Harris Group, you think Alexander will even look at you? Dream on!"
Watching the woman spiral into hysteria, Charlotte found it almost amusing.
She raised an eyebrow and replied evenly.
"Using me? Well, at least I have value worth using."
"But you, Chloe—you've been clawing your way into the Harris family with everything you've got, and what's it gotten you? They won't even look at you."
"That tea you went to all that trouble to get? It's probably already in the trash."
"You—!" Charlotte's words hit like a slap. Chloe's chest heaved violently as a whole evening's worth of humiliation and rage exploded.
She didn't care about her ladylike image anymore, didn't care where she was. She raised her hand to slap Charlotte across the face.
But the instant her hand shot up, Charlotte caught her wrist in a firm grip.
The girl's eyes turned icy. Her left fingers pressed lightly on a hidden pressure point.
"Ah—!" A sharp, tingling pain shot from her wrist, flooding Chloe's entire body in an instant.
Chloe's face went deathly pale. All the strength drained from her hand—she couldn't move it at all.
"You... let go! Charlotte! Let me go!"
"Chloe, my patience has limits!" Charlotte's voice was ice-cold, her eyes cutting. "I'm warning you—don't you dare lay a hand on me, or don't blame me for what happens next!"
Tears streaming down her face from the pain, Chloe shrieked and clawed at Charlotte's face with her free hand.
"I'll tear you apart!"
Seeing the movement, a flicker of annoyance crossed Charlotte's eyes. She flung Chloe's wrist away with force.
"Thud!"
Chloe stumbled backward and landed hard on the grass beside the path. Her elegant dress was covered in dirt and grass clippings. She looked utterly pathetic.
"Charlie..."
A low, masculine voice echoed from the end of the corridor.
Chloe looked up and saw Alexander approaching, Benjamin behind him with a dark expression.
Seeing her saviors arrive, her mind raced. Her aggressive demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by the picture of wounded innocence.
"Uncle Alexander... Benjamin... I just wanted... wanted to clear up the misunderstanding with Charlotte, but she... she just shoved me without letting me explain... and grabbed my wrist..."
She sobbed pitifully while holding up her reddened wrist, trying to win their sympathy.
But unfortunately for her, Alexander didn't spare her a single glance. He walked straight to Charlotte's side and gently took her injured hand.
After carefully checking to make sure the earlier altercation hadn't worsened her injury, he finally relaxed.
Then he looked up at her, eyes full of concern.
"Why did you come out here alone? Does your hand hurt?"