Chapter 155
Chloe seemed to sense Charlotte's impatience. Her eyes immediately welled up with tears, looking as if she might cry at any moment.
"I know I was wrong. I genuinely want to make peace with you."
"That trending topic before was all a misunderstanding. I've investigated everything, and I'm sorry for lashing out at you without getting the facts straight."
"I hope you'll come to our wedding and witness my happiness."
Listening to Chloe's sanctimonious speech, Charlotte barely registered most of it—except for one word: "misunderstanding." She raised an eyebrow.
"What are you talking about?"
Seeing Charlotte play dumb, Chloe couldn't help grinding her teeth inwardly.
But she knew full well she couldn't slip up here, so she forced herself to continue.
"I found out that the woman was just an ordinary friend of Benjamin's. They'd had too much to drink that day and got a little too close by accident. It wasn't at all what the rumors made it out to be."
"Besides, Benjamin only has eyes for me."
"We're hoping you'll come to the wedding. First, because I want your blessing. Second, because we want to clear this up in front of all the guests."
"It'll be good for you, good for the Harris family, good for the Johnson family—good for everyone."
Listening to Chloe's answer and watching her pathetic performance, Charlotte found it utterly laughable.
Did Chloe really take her for a fool?
Charlotte lowered her gaze, her eyes ice-cold.
"So are you done saying what you came to say?"
"If you are, then take your stuff and get out of my office."
"I'm not interested in your wedding, and don't expect me to put on some show of sisterly love and clearing up misunderstandings for you."
The moment the words left her mouth, Charlotte picked up the invitation, flicked it with her fingers, and tossed it into the trash.
Watching Charlotte's undisguised contempt, Chloe's face instantly turned ashen. The fragile act she'd been putting on crumbled completely as she trembled with rage.
"You... Charlotte! Don't push your luck!"
"I came here in good faith to invite you, and this is how you treat me?"
Seeing Chloe lose her composure and unable to mask her emotions any longer, Charlotte let out a cold laugh.
"This is exactly how I treat you."
"What? You don't like it? Want to throw a punch?"
"Go ahead. I've been in a bad mood lately anyway. Wouldn't mind working off some steam here."
Looking at Charlotte's utterly indifferent face, Chloe suddenly remembered the rumor about Charlotte kicking down the conference room door. Fear crept in.
She took a step back, outwardly defiant but inwardly shaken, and played her last card.
"Fine, Charlotte. You're ruthless! You can ignore Benjamin and me, but can you really disregard Grandpa Edward too?"
Hearing Edward's name, Charlotte's eyes flickered slightly.
Noticing her hesitation, Chloe immediately pressed her advantage.
"He saw that trending topic too. He's been upset for days—hasn't been eating or sleeping well."
"You know how much he adores you. He treats you like his own granddaughter!"
"Now that you've done this, everyone's laughing at the Harris family."
"Don't you think you owe him an explanation? Something to put his mind at ease?"
Charlotte fell silent. She had to admit—Chloe's words had struck a nerve.
Remembering the old man who always called her 'kiddo' and stuffed candies into her pockets, Charlotte felt a pang of guilt.
She really had let him down.
Seeing her waver, Chloe narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, planting both hands on the desk.
"Charlotte, even if you don't care about the rest of us, can you really ignore Grandpa Edward?"
"All you have to do is show up and talk to him for a few minutes. Let him see you're doing fine and haven't been affected by all this. That's all he needs to feel better, right?"
"So—will you come or not?"
Completely cornered by Chloe's words, Charlotte closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
When she opened them again, her expression had returned to complete calm.
"Fine. I'll go. But..."
Charlotte paused, her gaze turning even colder as she looked at Chloe.
"Not for you. Not for Benjamin. Only to give Grandpa Edward some peace of mind. Don't flatter yourself."
Hearing Charlotte's mockery, Chloe's fists clenched tight.
Rage burned in her chest, but thinking of their plan, she had to swallow it down.
She gave a mirthless smile and nodded. "Of course."
"We'll be expecting you."
With that, she turned and stormed out, teeth gritted.
Watching her retreating figure, Charlotte's eyes darkened as she propped her chin on one hand, lost in thought.
Time flew by, and before long, the day of the Harris and Johnson families' wedding arrived.
The guest list included not only business elites and prominent families, but also government officials.
In short, anyone with any connection to the Harris family or the Johnson family was there.
Inside the ballroom, classical music floated through the air. Under crystal chandeliers, men and women in suits and gowns clustered in groups of twos and threes, champagne glasses in hand.
From a distance, it was all elegant silhouettes and clinking glasses—a grand and lavish scene.
When Charlotte appeared at the ballroom entrance in a simple yet strikingly designed black silk gown, she instantly drew every eye in the room.
For a moment, the buzz of conversation seemed to pause as countless curious—or gleefully malicious—gazes turned her way.
"Look, it's Charlotte! She actually came! I thought she wouldn't dare show her face."
"Tsk, tsk. I heard she had something going on with Benjamin. Can't believe she'd still show up at this wedding. Either she's got thick skin or she's just clueless."
"I heard she turned the Langley Group upside down the moment she got back. Even kicked Charles out. Talk about ruthless."
"So what if she's ruthless? Didn't Benjamin dump her anyway? And her own sister ended up with him in the end."
"You should've seen how smug Chloe looked today. Her head's probably in the clouds by now."
Hearing the undisguised gossip around her, Charlotte's expression remained utterly composed from start to finish—as if those people whispering behind her back simply didn't exist.
She calmly scanned the room, searching for Edward.
But before she could find him, her gaze inadvertently collided with a familiar figure.