Chapter 76
The sudden remark wiped the fawning smile right off Chloe's face.
Her eyes went wide with shock. "Benjamin, what did you just say? Are you joking? I..."
"Chloe, I'm not in the mood for jokes. I've had enough of you! We're calling off the engagement!"
Benjamin's eyes held no warmth at all — just disgust and cold indifference.
"Why?!"
Chloe completely panicked. She rushed over and grabbed his arm, her voice desperate. "Did I do something wrong? Just tell me, I'll fix it! I'll change whatever you want!"
"Benjamin, please, don't call off the engagement."
In her panic, her sharp nails dug hard into his flesh.
The sudden pain made him frown, and he shook her off hard.
The force sent Chloe stumbling back two steps, looking completely undone.
"You have the nerve to ask why?! That plagiarism scandal has been trending for days! Do you have any idea what people are saying about me?! You've completely destroyed my reputation!"
The word "plagiarism" hit Chloe like a knife. She froze, and the words flew out before she could stop them. "Benjamin, that had nothing to do with me — it was clearly Charlotte who..."
"Don't you dare bring her up in front of me!"
That set Benjamin off completely. His eyes blazed with fury. "If I'd known sooner that she was... I never would have..."
He didn't finish, but Chloe understood exactly what he meant. Her expression darkened, and she screamed without any restraint, "So you've wanted to be with her all along, haven't you?! And now you're calling off the engagement because of her too?!"
"Benjamin, she just hurt her arm today, and you're already ready to end our engagement... What about me?! I'm the one you're engaged to! Don't my feelings matter to you at all?!"
"What?! She's hurt?! What happened?!"
Benjamin caught the key words immediately. Without a second thought, he snapped back.
Seeing the worry on his face, Chloe felt her heart sink completely. A wave of pure hatred rose up inside her, impossible to hold back.
So he had no idea Charlotte was hurt...
He just wanted to break off the engagement on his own.
The realization made Chloe clench her jaw tight.
Her face went dark, and she screamed hysterically, "Yes! She got hurt! Someone cut her arm! Are you happy now?! Are you going to rush over there and play the caring hero? Show off how sweet and thoughtful you are?!"
Benjamin didn't bother responding to her sarcasm.
He clenched his fists and turned to leave.
"Benjamin!"
Watching him actually walk away, Chloe panicked and threw herself at him from behind, wrapping her arms around his waist, sobbing and begging, "You can't leave! Please, don't call off the engagement... I can't live without you..."
"Let go!"
The heavy smell of her perfume turned his stomach. He spun around and snapped at her.
"No!"
Chloe held on tight, her mind racing.
Her eyes landed on Benjamin's profile — the anxiety and worry written all over his face — and a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
She took a deep breath, stepped in front of him, and spread her arms to block his way. "You really think if you go to her like this, she'll actually want to see you?"
"And don't forget — Alexander is right there with her. What makes you think she needs anything from you?!"
Just as she expected, Benjamin's expression darkened instantly.
Chloe didn't miss it, and it felt like a knife twisting in her chest.
But she forced herself to stay in control, stepped closer slowly, and let a hint of something tempting creep into her voice. "I'm different. I'm a Johnson. I know her better than anyone."
"Don't you want to know what her life has been like all these years? What she likes, what she hates, what scares her?"
"Just promise me you won't call off the engagement, and I'll tell you everything..."
She leaned in close to his ear, her breath warm and soft. "I can even help you win her over. What do you say?"
For a moment, something flickered in Benjamin's eyes. His hand at his side tightened without thinking.
He stared at the beautiful but ruthless face in front of him, and the cold resolve in his eyes began to crack.
He couldn't deny it.
He was tempted.
---
Meanwhile, at Gold Valley District.
Alexander sat in the corner of the courtyard and finished a cigarette before heading back to his study.
He'd barely walked in when his phone rang.
He picked up. The person on the other end said just one thing.
"Mr. Harris, the security footage from the Starlight Tower parking garage was wiped early this morning."
The study went quiet for a few seconds. The thick darkness of the night seemed to pool in the corners of the room.
"Can't it be recovered?"
Alexander's voice was ice-cold. His knuckles went white around the phone.
"Our technicians tried before we even got there. Whoever did it knew what they were doing — they didn't just delete the files, they overwrote them completely. There's nothing we can do."
He was silent for a moment. "What about the five men?"
"The police are questioning them, but they're all seasoned operators. They're sticking to the story that it was a random mugging. No progress so far."
The person on the other end sighed, then added, "We're already pulling their financial records, but it'll take a little time."
The answer clearly wasn't good enough. Alexander pressed two fingers to his temple. "Put two more people on her. Starting tomorrow, keep close but not too close — don't let her notice."
"Understood."
After hanging up, Alexander stood at the floor-to-ceiling window for a long time without moving.
His reflection stared back at him in the glass, looking harder and colder than ever.
Wiping the footage that fast — whoever was behind this was no ordinary threat.
Thinking back to what Charlotte had said at the hospital, Alexander's eyes darkened, and his fingers moved almost imperceptibly.
"Whoever it is — if they're coming, they'd better be ready to pay for it," he murmured.
---
The next morning at seven sharp, Charlotte came downstairs in a long-sleeve top.
She moved with purpose, heading straight for the front door.
"Where are you going?"
A low, quiet voice stopped her mid-motion as she reached for her shoes.
She raised an eyebrow and looked up.
At some point, Alexander had appeared at the top of the stairs. He was in his home clothes, his hair slightly messy, but his eyes were sharp and wide awake.
"Work."
"Your injury isn't healed yet. The doctor said you need to rest."
He said it with clear disapproval.
"It's just a scratch. It's fine."
Charlotte bent down to tie her laces, her tone easy and unbothered.
But Alexander walked straight over and planted himself in front of the door, his jaw tight. "You're staying home today. You're not going anywhere."
His tone was firm, almost forceful. Charlotte frowned, slowly straightened up, and met his stubborn gaze.
She let out a quiet sigh. "Alexander, I'm really okay. The cut wasn't deep, and my left hand still works fine. It's not going to affect anything..."
But he wasn't listening.
He stepped closer and said quietly, "Forget the injury for a second — do you realize that ever since your identity got out, the media has been tracking your every move? What are you going to do if you get swarmed the moment you step outside?"