Chapter 129
Night fell, and the city lights began to glow.
Charlotte finally relaxed when her assistant left the office carrying the last signed document of the day.
She leaned back in her chair, eyes closed, trying to rest. Neon lights from outside the floor-to-ceiling windows seeped in, casting reflections on the polished desk and across Charlotte's features, highlighting her exhaustion.
Her mind kept replaying the earlier confrontation with Benjamin.
Honestly, Charlotte didn't take his threats seriously at all.
In her eyes, he was just a two-bit schemer who worked from the shadows—hardly capable of causing any real damage.
The only things that truly irritated her were Nora, who had vanished without a trace, and Chloe, who remained unpredictable.
While neither posed a real threat to her, they were still annoying.
She needed to figure out a way to shut them both down for good.
Just as she was mulling this over, her phone buzzed on the desk. A message from Alexander—just two simple words.
[Come down.]
Charlotte raised an eyebrow at the terse command. She stood and walked to the window.
Below, parked outside the company building, sat a familiar black Bentley that blended seamlessly with the night. The man leaned against the car door, phone in hand.
Seeing this, Charlotte pressed her lips together. Without replying, she grabbed her coat and purse and headed to the elevator.
As she stepped outside, the cool evening breeze hit her face. Charlotte noticed Alexander had changed into dark casual wear today—less sharp-edged, more relaxed and homey.
When he saw Charlotte emerge, the man stubbed out his cigarette and opened the car door.
"I have to say, having Mr. Harris as my chauffeur is quite flattering."
Charlotte slid into the car with a teasing smile.
Alexander's lips curved upward. After closing her door, he walked around to the driver's seat.
"It's my honor to serve my girlfriend."
The engine roared to life, and the car's dashboard lit up as it merged into the night.
"I heard about what happened this morning."
Charlotte nodded, fastening her seatbelt.
"I'll handle Benjamin. He won't have another chance to appear in front of you." Alexander seemed unwilling to dwell on the topic.
"That's not necessary." Charlotte shook her head. "I can deal with this myself. It's not like I can't handle it."
Hearing her refuse his help, Alexander's grip on the steering wheel tightened, then relaxed again.
He glanced at Charlotte's cool profile and smiled. "Alright. Whatever you say."
The car smoothly merged into traffic, heading toward the suburban villa district.
Soon, the vehicle stopped outside Gold Valley District. Alexander got out first and opened Charlotte's door, gesturing for her to exit.
"To celebrate Ms. Johnson successfully dealing with all that mess, and to make up for the bad mood caused by this morning's unpleasantness, I'm personally cooking dinner tonight."
Charlotte was genuinely surprised. She raised an eyebrow at him.
Honestly, in Charlotte's imagination, someone like Alexander—a commanding presence in the business world—would never be caught wearing an apron and cooking.
The very thought seemed almost surreal.
"What? Don't believe me?" Alexander caught her doubt and raised an eyebrow. "When I was studying abroad, I actually took cooking classes."
"I just rarely cook. Doesn't mean I can't."
"Go upstairs and rest for a bit. I'll call you when it's ready."
Seeing his confident expression, Charlotte didn't say anything discouraging. She nodded. "Okay."
After entering, Charlotte changed her shoes and headed upstairs to the master bedroom.
She had just entered the room, set down her things, and picked out a lotus-pink silk loungewear set, preparing to head to the bathroom, when she suddenly froze. Her sharp eyes swept toward a shadowy corner of the room.
In the shadows by the curtains connecting to the bedroom balcony stood a tall figure. He wore all black, practically blending into the night.
His face still bore that signature silver mask, revealing only a pair of unfathomable eyes fixed intently on her.
How did he get in here?!
Charlotte's pupils constricted sharply. Her hands clenched instantly, her entire body shifting into a defensive stance.
She narrowed her eyes, staring coldly at him for a long moment before speaking.
"How did you get in here?"
The man didn't answer. His expression didn't even change—like a lifeless statue.
"What exactly do you want?"
Charlotte's brow furrowed as she questioned him again.
Still, he remained silent.
Just as Charlotte was calculating whether to strike first, the man suddenly raised his hand and tossed something toward her.
A manila envelope arced through the air, landing at Charlotte's feet with a dull thud.
Charlotte glanced at the envelope but didn't rush to pick it up. Instead, she watched him carefully for a while. Only after confirming he made no other moves did she slowly bend down to retrieve it.
The envelope wasn't sealed, and there wasn't much inside—just a few sheets of paper and a photograph.
She pulled out the photo and, using the streetlight from outside, saw who it was.
Nora!
The background showed an extremely secluded apartment building. Nora in the photo appeared to have been caught off-guard, looking somewhat panicked.
Charlotte's mind erupted into chaos.
She had previously asked Alexander to investigate Nora's whereabouts, but unfortunately, they'd found nothing. She had vanished like she'd evaporated from existence.
Yet the person they couldn't find, this man had located—and so quickly.
What shocked Charlotte even more was that he somehow knew she was searching for Nora!
A chill ran up Charlotte's spine.
He knew her well, but she knew nothing about him.
"Why are you helping me?"
Charlotte gripped the documents tightly, her voice taking on a probing, icy edge.
The man still didn't answer, just watched her silently.
Seeing his demeanor, Charlotte took a deep breath. She pretended to put the items back and place the envelope on a nearby table, but her steps slowly brought her closer to him.
"What's your purpose? Money? Or something else?"
"I don't believe just designing a jewelry set for you could possibly cover all of this."
Charlotte closed the distance imperceptibly.
"Just tell me. I think I can agree to it."
Now she stood only one step away from the man.
If she wanted, she could immediately tear off the mask and see his true face!
Just as she was about to make her move, the man spoke.
"Don't waste your effort."