Chapter 194: Chapter 194 Thorny Roses
"Charlotte Thompson was like a diminutive feline hiding lethal claws, sensing danger, she would bare her fangs and claws without hesitation.
A rose with thorns.
At his words, Charlotte blinked, but then laughed: "You flatter me."
At some unknown point, the pitch-black night had turned into a curtain of rain.
The rain pattered on the ground, making a crispy sound.
A slight chill in the air seeped into their skin, bringing a liberating pleasure.
Not far off, a bodyguard jogged down from a vehicle, holding an umbrella.
He stood in front of Justin Battleson, intending to hold the umbrella for him.
But in the next second, the umbrella had already left the bodyguard’s hand and ended up in Justin’s.
The man opened the umbrella, the brunt of it over Charlotte.
He nodded slightly, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Miss Thompson, shall we go together?"
Behind them, the bodyguard watched as the two walked side by side into the curtain of rain, their hair tousled by the wind.
...
Go together? Was he offering to take her home?
Did he know where she lived?
Charlotte didn’t have time to think it over, the rain was getting heavier, her sheepskin heels were getting wet and were likely to be ruined.
Justin Battleson had also opened the car door, Charlotte hesitated for a few seconds before climbing in.
The man took the driver’s seat, put on his seatbelt, and started the engine.
The car moved steadily in the rainy night.
"Mr. Battleson, do you know where I live?" After thinking for a long time, Charlotte finally asked.
Justin Battleson seemed quite puzzled: "Did I say I was going to take you home?"
Um... okay then.
Charlotte was at a loss for words.
She turned her head to look outside the window, the city in the rain had an indescribable hazy beauty.
Looking at the retreating scenery outside the window, based on her memory of Qiver City from five years ago, Charlotte had a rough idea of where Justin was taking her.
In reality, when Justin suggested they go together, he meant going to the office.
Vanguard Jewelry was also in the Riley Group’s building and was close to the CEO’s office.
Charlotte had a vague suspicion, but also felt a sense of inexplicable strangeness.
After getting out of the car, Charlotte brushed her coat, and the man followed her closely.
Charlotte stood in front of the high-rise, maintaining her usual aloof and vigilant demeanour that kept people at arm’s length.
She slightly lifted her eyelids and looked at the massive building in front of her. The past surged out of her recollections, bursting forth like a deluge.
It was a part of her past that Charlotte has always been reluctant to revisit.
Not because it was dreadful, but because she viewed it as a "blot" on her life.
Perhaps the five years had turned that Charlotte into someone who found the weakness and vulnerability of Sophie Allen both pathetic and laughable.
The marriage with Justin was as elusive as a cloud.
Now, thinking back, she realized she had rarely visited this place.
To be precise, she had never been here.
Justin had always been protective of Sophie Allen, so how could he ever have allowed her to appear in front of the Riley Group and the public?
Little did she expect that after so many years, having assumed a new identity, she would eventually find herself here.
Brazenly.
Only this time, everything had changed.
And Charlotte was burdened with doubts and revenge.
Charlotte secretly sighed, lifted her face slightly and looked at the magnificent skyscraper in front of her, a place that once seemed unreachable.
This was the heart of the Battleson empire, a place that countless people yearned for.
She was about to step into this place.
Charlotte’s scarlet lips moved slightly, whispering: "Why did it turn out this way?"
Her voice was so faint, it dissolved into the sound of the rain.