Chapter 154
The boardroom fell silent after Charlotte's words, faces darkening with unreadable expressions, though no one dared speak.
Charlotte's gaze swept over the fence-sitters on the board one last time, her tone dropping to something colder.
"Of course, if anyone wants to test my limits or try to undermine this—"
"I'm sure my grandfather wouldn't mind having a little chat with them."
"From now on, think carefully about whether you're a friend or an enemy before you choose a side."
Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and walked out of the conference room.
The employees who'd gathered outside to watch the drama unfolding quickly lowered their heads and parted to let her through.
Charlotte ignored them and stepped into the elevator.
She knew perfectly well that Charles was nothing—just a clown jumping around for attention.
What really troubled her was her mother's disappearance, Richard lurking in the shadows, and the power struggles within the company colliding with threats from the outside.
All of it piled on top of her like mountains pressing down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Just as the elevator doors began to close, a figure stepped inside at an unhurried pace.
"Ms. Johnson."
Zaid gave Charlotte a slight nod—respectful but not servile.
Charlotte stared at her slightly tense reflection in the mirrored elevator wall, pressed her lips together, and spoke first.
"Zaid, thank you for today."
"If you hadn't shown up when you did, things could have gotten messy."
Zaid shook his head. "Just doing my job."
"Mr. Thomas Langley may be recovering quietly, but that doesn't mean he's blind to what's happening out here. Mr. Charles Langley went too far this time."
At that, Charlotte's eyes flickered. "Grandfather… does he know about what happened to my mother?"
Zaid's expression shifted slightly at the sudden question, his gaze turning more searching.
"Mr. Thomas Langley only knows that Ms. Langley is temporarily unreachable and that there's been some trouble at the company. He doesn't know the specifics, and what we've been able to dig up is limited."
"Do you know something?"
Meeting his eyes, Charlotte's chest tightened. She hesitated.
She didn't know if she should tell him her mother had been kidnapped.
This matter ran deep. Without absolute certainty, every additional person who knew increased the risk.
As she pressed her lips together, preparing to answer, Zaid seemed to read her hesitation.
"After she went missing, I had people start looking immediately. We haven't found her yet, but we're not completely in the dark either."
He pulled out his phone, scrolled to a photo, and held it up in front of her.
"My people traced where Ms. Langley went in the days before she disappeared, including her driving records. We found one location that stood out."
"She went to an abandoned industrial zone on the west side of the city. Inside that zone, we found this."
The moment Charlotte saw what was on the screen, her pupils shrank.
It was a rusted metal nameplate. In the center was a clear logo—three interlocking gears!
And if Charlotte wasn't mistaken, this logo was identical to the blurry marking on the industrial part in the corner of the photo Richard had sent her!
"What is this logo?"
"It belonged to a machine shop called Northstar Machine Works," Zaid replied. "It shut down twenty years ago."
"Of course, back in the day, it was pretty successful in Imperial City. Then it went under after a major industrial espionage case."
"Funny thing is, the competitor who profited most from that whole mess was a company that had just been founded—the Langley Group."
The words hit Charlotte like a thunderclap.
A case from twenty years ago. A bankrupt factory. The Langley Group reaping the rewards…
The threads began weaving together in Charlotte's mind. Victoria's kidnapping might not be a simple ransom case at all—it could be revenge twenty years in the making.
Her face went pale.
Just then, the elevator chimed and the doors slid open on the first floor.
"Ms. Johnson," Zaid pocketed his phone, his tone serious, "the Langley family's business isn't for outsiders to meddle in."
"But Mr. Thomas Langley said you're Ms. Langley's daughter, and you're family. No matter what happens, the entire Langley family will have your back."
He gave her another nod, then turned and walked away.
Watching Zaid's retreating figure, Charlotte felt a tangle of emotions.
She took a deep breath and clenched her fists.
It was clear now—she had to uncover the truth about that old case, and fast.
……
Over the next few days, Charlotte held down the fort at the Langley Group, stabilizing morale after Charles's disruption, while secretly using every resource she had to investigate Northstar Machine Works and its history.
Just when she was running herself ragged, the last person she wanted to see showed up uninvited.
That afternoon, Charlotte was processing documents in her office when Mireille knocked and entered, her brow furrowed.
"Ms. Johnson, Ms. Chloe Johnson is here again. She says she has something very important to tell you."
Charlotte's expression turned ice-cold. Her gut told her that woman was up to no good. She didn't even look up.
"Don't let her in. Tell her to get lost."
Mireille wasn't surprised by the answer, but remembering what Chloe had said, she looked conflicted.
"But… she said it's about the Harris family. She said if you don't see her, you'll regret it."
Charlotte's hand paused over the file she was reading. She slowly set down her pen and leaned back in her chair.
After a moment's thought, she pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation.
"Fine. Let her in."
"Understood."
A few minutes later, Chloe pushed open the door and walked in.
But this time, there was no arrogance on her face. Instead, she wore a soft, wounded expression, like she'd been wronged.
"Charlotte, you're so hard to get ahold of."
The saccharine tone made Charlotte's skin crawl.
"Get to the point. You've got five minutes."
Chloe's smile stiffened, a flicker of something dark passing through her eyes before she recovered.
She took a deep breath. "I came to tell you that Benjamin and I are getting married at the Starlight Hotel. I really hope you'll come. Don't forget!"
Charlotte's frown deepened. She looked up at Chloe like she was staring at an idiot.
Charlotte was convinced the woman in front of her had serious issues, obsessing over making her attend her wedding like this.