Chapter 172
Charlotte froze, lifting her head to look at him.
Alexander's expression was intensely focused, his words coming out steady and certain.
"Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. I promise."
Hearing those simple words, for reasons she couldn't quite explain, Charlotte felt herself gradually calm down. She nodded.
The atmosphere in the car eased considerably after that.
Half an hour later, the car finally pulled back into Gold Valley District.
After they'd come to a stop, Alexander was about to say something to Charlotte when he realized she'd already fallen asleep.
But her sleep wasn't peaceful. Her head drooped against the headrest, her brow furrowed, her whole body radiating worry.
Seeing this, Alexander sighed inwardly, then reached out to gently stroke her cheek.
After a long moment, he carefully unbuckled her seatbelt and lifted her into his arms in a princess carry.
He settled Charlotte onto the bed, tucked the covers around her, then quietly closed the door behind him as he left.
Walking to a secluded corner, he pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Rhett."
"Boss, what do you need?"
"Deploy our entire intelligence network. Turn that abandoned industrial area on the west side inside out."
Alexander's voice was ice-cold. "I want to know where those people are hiding before dawn."
"And that's not all—step up efforts to eliminate every one of Richard's operations within our borders."
"Yes, boss."
After hanging up, Alexander stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.
Gazing out at the heavy darkness of night, his eyes grew even colder and more unfathomable.
……
At that moment, in an unremarkable white sedan, Chloe had just finished meeting with Nora and was heading home.
Just thinking about Charlotte receiving those photos—anxious and helpless—filled her with excitement.
As far as she was concerned, Charlotte had brought all of this on herself.
The thought made Chloe even happier.
She slammed her foot on the gas pedal, and the car shot forward.
Soon, she arrived back at the wedding villa she shared with Benjamin.
As she used her fingerprint to unlock the door and started to change her shoes in the entryway—
Suddenly, with a sharp click, the living room lights blazed on.
Chloe instinctively squinted.
But when she made out the figure sitting on the sofa, she froze completely, her smile stiffening on her face.
"Benjamin? You… you're still up?"
Seeing the woman's obviously guilty expression, Benjamin's face grew even darker, his bloodshot eyes fixed on her.
"Where were you?"
"I… I wasn't feeling great, so I went out for a drive."
Chloe's gaze darted away, unable to meet his eyes.
"For a drive?" Benjamin let out a cold laugh, standing up from the sofa and advancing step by step. "Wearing a baseball cap, driving a car with fake plates to a coffee shop in the suburbs—that kind of drive?"
Hearing him lay out her movements so precisely, Chloe's face turned deathly pale.
"You… you followed me?" Chloe was both shocked and furious.
"If I hadn't followed you, how would I know you can't change who you are?"
Benjamin's face was full of mockery, dripping with contempt.
"What did I tell you this afternoon at the Johnson Mansion? I told you to lay low. Did you just let my words go in one ear and out the other?"
"I didn't!" Chloe shrieked. "It was Charlotte who pushed me to this! She made me do it!"
"She stormed into the house today and humiliated me in broad daylight. What's wrong with me trying to get some justice for myself?"
"Justice? Chloe, don't dress up your twisted schemes in such noble language!"
Benjamin couldn't stand her fake act anymore. He stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. "You tried to have her kidnapped and failed, so now you're going after her mother? That's your idea of justice?"
The angrier he got, the tighter his grip became.
Feeling the sharp pain, Chloe couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears.
"I don't know what you're talking about! Let go of me!"
"You don't know?" Seeing her refuse to admit it, Benjamin's last shred of patience evaporated completely. "Chloe, I'm giving you one last chance. If you don't stop this, don't blame me for forgetting what we once had."
Hearing Benjamin threaten her over Charlotte, Chloe finally snapped, erupting into a full-blown scream.
"What we once had? You're talking to me about what we once had?"
"The only person you actually care about is Charlotte!"
Hearing Chloe's accusation, Benjamin's expression grew even uglier.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"What am I talking about?" Chloe let out a cold laugh, as if she'd seen straight through his hypocrisy. "Other people might not know, but I know perfectly well."
"When you saw Alexander protecting her, you were so jealous you were about to lose your mind, weren't you?"
"You chose me back then, and now you regret it. Too bad regret won't do you any good now."
"You're just a coward! You can't have her, so you're taking it out on me!"
"Benjamin, let me tell you—everything I've done is completely justified. She's the one in the wrong! She stole everything that should have been mine!"
"I'm going to destroy her. Not just destroy what she cares about, but also destroy—"
SMACK—!
A sharp slap rang out through the living room, cutting Chloe's words short.
She turned her face to the side, eyes wide with disbelief, staring at the carpet beneath her feet, her hand trembling as she touched her swelling cheek.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment. The world went silent.
Chloe was completely stunned, her mind utterly blank.
All her life, her parents had treasured her like a precious jewel. She'd never suffered such humiliation.
And now the man she'd schemed so hard to marry had hit her—over another woman. How could she possibly accept this?
Benjamin was also frozen in place. Looking at the red mark blooming on Chloe's face, a flash of complicated emotion crossed his eyes. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Finally, Chloe came back to herself. She raised her head in disbelief, staring at the man before her, forcing out each word.
"Benjamin, you hit me… for her?"
"You actually hit me over that bitch Charlotte?"
As she spoke, Chloe began to laugh—as if it were the biggest joke in the world—a hysterical, unhinged laugh filled with resentment and madness.
"You do regret it. You are jealous."
"You saw her latch onto Alexander, saw him protecting her like she's some kind of treasure, and you just couldn't stand it!"
"Benjamin, I truly pity you. You're nothing but a pathetic, worthless coward!"
At this point, Chloe had completely lost it. She didn't care about anything anymore and started hurling insults.
Over the past few days, she'd been living in constant fear and anxiety.
First, Charlotte had cornered her at the Johnson family home. Now she had to face Benjamin's coldness and suspicion.
The thread holding her together had long since stretched to its breaking point.
Benjamin's slap had shattered Chloe's last shred of rationality.
She pointed at Benjamin, screaming wildly.
"You think hitting me will solve anything? You think getting angry helps? All it proves is how pathetic you are!"
"Shut your mouth!" Benjamin seemed to have been hit where it hurt most, veins bulging on his forehead.
"I won't!" Chloe stepped forward, her face twisted with manic rage. "Tell me the truth—what good are you now? Look at yourself!"