Chapter 144
Charlotte nodded and picked up the cake, just about to take a bite, when Alexander suddenly spoke again.
"Charlie, is there really nothing? Or are you hiding something from me?"
His abrupt questioning made Charlotte freeze. She looked up at him.
Sure enough, his eyes were filled with darkness.
Clearly, her previous answer hadn't satisfied him.
Seeing his expression, Charlotte's heart sank, and she immediately lowered her gaze.
She knew she should tell Alexander about this and choose to trust him.
But this matter had far too many implications, and Richard was obviously no pushover.
Once he found out Charlotte hadn't followed his instructions, he'd likely hurt her mother—and might even drag Alexander down with her.
She couldn't do that.
With this thought, her eyes flickered slightly before she shook her head firmly.
"I'm not hiding anything from you."
"After you left earlier, I was going to keep investigating, but someone intervened from the shadows and cut off my search."
"I don't know how they got my IP address, but it definitely happened."
"When I tried to trace them again, they'd already used their technical skills to completely cover their tracks."
"So I had no choice but to give up."
After hearing Charlotte's explanation, Alexander still seemed unconvinced.
He knew Charlotte too well. Though they hadn't been together long, he understood she was a woman with strong character, pride and stubbornness running through her bones.
Once she decided on something, no one could change her mind.
Seeing the evasion and resistance hidden in her eyes, Alexander's gaze flickered, disappointment welling up in his chest.
He'd spent so much energy constantly reassuring her, slowly drawing closer, trying to earn her trust.
He'd thought he'd finally made some progress, that he'd truly entered her heart.
But now, facing this situation, Alexander felt like he was back at square one, once again consumed by that sense of helplessness.
This feeling of being shut out stirred an indescribable restlessness in him, along with deep disappointment.
With that thought, he gave a bitter laugh and stepped back.
"Fine. If that's how it is, then forget it."
"You're tired today. Get some rest. I'll have Rhett continue following up on the Ridgeback Mountain situation."
"If the police find any leads, I'll let you know right away."
With that, Alexander turned to leave, his expression exceptionally detached, even revealing a hint of distance.
"Oh, and this place is very secure. You can stay here without worry. If you need anything, just call me. I have things to take care of. I'm leaving now."
Watching Alexander's retreating figure, Charlotte felt nothing but bitter ache in her heart.
She knew perfectly well he was hurt, which was why his attitude had suddenly changed.
These past days, she'd seen every bit of how he'd cared for her.
Though she'd grown used to being alone over the years, how could she not be moved when someone suddenly appeared who thought of her in everything?
As her thoughts churned, Charlotte unconsciously called out.
"Alexander..."
Hearing her call, he stopped, but didn't turn around.
Charlotte's mouth moved, and she instinctively opened it to say something.
But Richard's threat suddenly flashed through her mind.
"If you dare tell him, you'll never see your mother again for the rest of your life."
Instantly, her heart sank. She bit her lip hard, forcing the words that had been about to spill out back into her heart.
"It's nothing. I just wanted to say thank you."
Her voice was hoarse, as if scraped by coarse sandpaper.
When Alexander received this answer, his body visibly stiffened.
He'd probably thought Charlotte might tell him the truth, but instead she'd said 'this'.
At that thought, Alexander's eyes gradually darkened, disappointment written all over his face.
"You're welcome."
After uttering those three words, he took a deep breath and strode away.
The heavy metal door slowly closed behind him with a dull thud.
In an instant, the room fell into deathly silence.
Charlotte collapsed into the chair, covering her face with both hands in pain, her heart sour and swollen.
She desperately wanted to tell him the truth, but unfortunately, she couldn't!
With that thought, Charlotte took a deep breath. Thinking of the three-day deadline Richard had given her, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to pull it together.
She absolutely could not break down at this moment!
Three days, fifty million dollars, and she had to avoid Alexander while facing a ruthless criminal organization alone.
At that thought, she took a deep breath, fighting spirit rekindling in her eyes!
Her gaze quickly swept across the screen before her, then her hands moved to the keyboard.
If they could monitor this place, it meant this supposedly absolutely secure network environment had likely been implanted with some extremely well-hidden backdoor program!
Realizing this, Charlotte's eyes darkened.
"You want to monitor me? Then I'll give you something good to watch!"
She knew that for Richard to act so brazenly, he definitely wouldn't leave any obvious vulnerabilities!
But that didn't mean she'd just sit there and let him lead her around by the nose!
So she immediately opened a programming window, her fingers flying rapidly across the keyboard.
She planned to write a virtual mirror system that would let them 'see' her panicking helplessly, running around like a headless fly.
Meanwhile, she would use this opportunity to follow the trail and completely uproot Richard's entire organization.
Make it impossible for them to do evil ever again!
"Richard..." Charlotte stared intently at the photo on screen, her eyes cold, her voice icy. "You'd better make sure my mother is safe and sound. Otherwise, I'll make you understand what happens when you cross me!"
At that moment, outside in the basement corridor, Alexander leaned against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers, having stood there for who knows how long.
He stared thoughtfully at the still-unlit cigarette. After a long moment, he finally put it back in his pocket and pulled out his phone to call someone.
"Rhett, mobilize all the shadow guards in Imperial City. Monitor everything around my villa twenty-four seven."
"Also, look into someone named Richard Clark. Remember, do it clean. Don't let them know."
After finishing these arrangements, he turned to look at the tightly closed metal door, unfathomable currents churning in his eyes.
"I don't know what you're trying to hide, but no matter what, I absolutely won't let you face this alone!"