Chapter 139
Two questions kept circling through Charlotte's mind. She pressed her lips together, feeling more and more certain that this was a carefully orchestrated, all-out attack on the Langley family.
After all, the timing was too perfect. The Langley Group had barely been hit with a cyberattack when Victoria went missing—like everything had been planned down to the last detail.
Charlotte clenched her jaw and held out her hand to Flynn.
"Give me the car keys. I'm going to the scene."
If the police couldn't find anything, she'd look herself.
She refused to believe those people could cover their tracks completely.
Flynn nodded and was about to hand over the keys when Charles's voice boomed from behind them.
"You're not going anywhere!"
The man clutched his shoulder, stumbling into the room in a disheveled state.
His face was ashen, his eyes filled with venom and rage.
"Charlotte! Know your place!"
"Do you really think you're the head of the Langley family now?"
"Ms. Langley is missing, the entire company is in chaos, and you're here making things worse!"
"Stay home where you belong. You're not going anywhere!"
As soon as he finished, several relatives close to Charles immediately chimed in.
"That's right. Charles is right. It's dangerous out there. What good would you do running around alone?"
"The company's unstable right now. We need someone to take charge. Since you're Ms. Langley's daughter, you should stay at headquarters and keep things steady."
"Exactly. Besides, you're not some kind of expert. Going to the scene would just contaminate evidence and interfere with the police investigation."
They kept talking over each other, trying to dictate her every move.
Charlotte listened to their words and let out a cold laugh, her gaze icy as she stared at Charles.
"Stay at the company and take charge?"
"My mother's been missing for almost three hours. We don't even know if she's alive or dead, and instead of figuring out how to find her, you're all standing here lecturing me on what to do!"
"Charles, I'm starting to think the reason you're so desperate to stop me from going to the scene is that you've got something to hide."
Charles looked uncomfortable under her stare, his eyes flickering for a moment before he forced himself to look defiant again.
"Me? Hiding something?! Charlotte! Don't you dare slander me!"
"Victoria is my cousin. Of course I'm worried about her disappearance!"
"But if no one steps up to lead the Langley family right now, everything will fall apart!"
"And besides, the Langley Group is generations of family legacy. I'm thinking about the bigger picture here!"
Hearing his self-righteous speech, Charlotte let out a derisive laugh, her eyes full of mockery.
"Thinking about the family's best interests? How noble of you!"
"I think what you're really after is using my mother's absence to seize control of the company. Nice words, but even better intentions for yourself."
"You—! That's complete nonsense!" Charles jumped like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his voice shrill. "How dare you accuse me of something like that!"
"Charlotte! Stop slandering me!"
"Slander?" Charlotte looked as though she'd heard the funniest joke, a flash of mockery in her eyes. "Whether it's slander or not, you know better than anyone!"
"Before this, your precious daughter Nora tried to kill me by bribing a mechanic to tamper with my car—sabotaging the brakes."
"If I hadn't been lucky, I'd be dead right now!"
"And you're saying I'm slandering you? Charles, you think I don't know exactly what you're up to?"
"Stop putting on this act!"
The moment Charlotte finished speaking, gasps rippled through the living room.
They didn't know much about what had happened with Nora. Charles had publicly claimed she'd gone abroad to study. Now that the truth had been exposed, it was like dropping a bomb inside the Langley family.
Charles's face changed color. He clearly hadn't expected Charlotte to know so much.
"You... you're making this up..."
"Charles, I know you hate me and my mother." Charlotte stared at him coldly, her words measured and deliberate. "In your eyes, my mother chose justice over family and cut off your money and power."
"You hate me because I took everything that should have been your daughter's."
"Now my mother gets a phone call and disappears."
"You're the one who stands to gain the most from all this. Yet instead of immediately organizing a search, you're blocking the door, stopping me from investigating."
Charlotte paused, her eyes full of scrutiny.
"So tell me, Charles—when I suspect you're the mastermind behind this kidnapping, is that really such a stretch?"
After she said this, even the relatives who'd been close to Charles fell silent.
Some even took a step back, as if they didn't want to be associated with him.
After all, conspiracy to murder was no small matter.
The atmosphere in the living room grew oppressive. Charles's face turned from green to white, his body trembling slightly.
"You're framing me! What proof do you have that I had anything to do with this?!"
"Charlotte, just because you've barely managed to hold onto your position as Director of the Langley Group doesn't mean you can run wild and do whatever you want!"
In his extreme panic and humiliation, Charles completely lost control. He lunged forward several steps and raised his right hand high.
"Smack!" A sharp sound echoed through the living room. Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief at what they were seeing.
"Let go of me..."
Feeling the searing pain in his wrist, Charles's face contorted.
"Mr. Langley, what an impressive display of authority."
A low, cold voice rang out. Charlotte froze, then turned to see Alexander.
The man wore an impeccably tailored custom suit, his posture upright, his presence imposing and frigid.
His icy gaze fixed on Charles, who was struggling in pain, and his tightly pressed lips betrayed his displeasure.
Alexander's sudden appearance made the atmosphere in the living room freeze completely.
Everyone fell silent, watching the scene unfold, not daring to speak.
"Mr. Harris? What brings you here? This... this is a Langley family matter. I'm Charlotte's uncle. I'm just disciplining a disrespectful junior..."
"Disciplining?" Alexander let out a cold laugh and applied more pressure.
"Ahh—!" Charles screamed again, his legs buckling, nearly collapsing to the floor.
"Mr. Harris! Please, show mercy!" Several Langley family elders snapped out of their shock and hastily begged for leniency, but none of them dared lay a hand on Alexander.