Dolores was about to speak up to explain the situation when the waitress interrupted, “Lacey, don’t listen to her. She’s the one who brought these people and vandalized our store like this. You need to get someone quickly and have them all arrested.”
Dolores furrowed her brow.
Matthew handed his daughter to Dolores, saying, “Go wait for me in the car.”
He would handle things here. While he wanted to instill courage in his son, he didn’t want his daughter exposed to this kind of situation. Daughters were different from sons.
Dolores picked up her daughter and was about to leave when the waitress’s cousin, Lacey Ward, spoke up to stop her, “The problem started because of you. How can we resolve this if you leave?”
Matthew looked up, his gaze indifferent. His voice was cold and stern, “Speak to me.”
When Lacey met Matthew’s eyes, she felt a sense of timidity. He appeared even more intimidating than Charles, with his handsome yet icy expression, exuding an aura that made people flinch.
She clenched her hands. “We’re just business people. Isn’t this going too far?”
A cold smile formed on Matthew’s lips.
The waitress hid behind Lacey, saying, “They’re clearly gangsters. Hurry up and call Mr. White to come over.”
At that moment, Boyce emerged from the store and whispered something in Matthew’s ear.
Lacey couldn’t hear their conversation, but considering the state of the store and the fact that she and her cousin, two vulnerable women, were no match for them, she made a decision to call Charles.
Hopefully, he could help her out.
Clearly, they were taking advantage of her outnumbered position.
Meanwhile, Charles was on his way to pick up Dolores from the hotel to meet the master who could create cloud yarn. Unexpectedly, he received a call from Lacey.
“What’s wrong?” he asked nonchalantly.
“My store has been destroyed. Can you come over?” Lacey lowered her head. She and Charles had both grown up in orphanages and had known each other since childhood. They were separated when they were adopted, and it wasn’t until a year ago that they reunited.
It was thanks to Charles that she had such a nice store in this mall.
Charles glanced at his watch. He still had time, so he promised to come over.
Little did he expect to encounter Dolores and Matthew when he arrived.
The waitress, who had been hiding behind Lacey, tilted her head upon seeing Charles approach. “See, I told you Mr. White and my cousin are close. You’re asking for trouble by causing a scene here.”
Lacey furrowed her brow and looked at her cousin. Although she had a connection with Charles, she didn’t want to drag him into trouble because of that connection.
Thus, when she heard her cousin’s words, she couldn’t help but frown.
Charles was a smart man, and he likely guessed what had happened upon seeing such a scene.
As he passed by Dolores, he looked at her with concern and asked, “Are you alright?”
Dolores stood closer to Matthew and shook her head, saying, “I’m fine.”
There was much about Charles that she didn’t know.
And for the sake of her two children, she didn’t want outsiders to realize that her relationship with Matthew wasn’t conventional.
Charles observed her actions, his eyes flickering slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
Her actions caused Matthew, who had been sullen, to raise an eyebrow, and a faint smile curved his lips as well.
“You’ve arrived just in time. I was about to ask you for an explanation.” Matthew grasped Dolores’ shoulders and walked into the disheveled store. Boyce had someone clean off a couch, then Matthew motioned for Dolores to sit down.
Her foot had been injured, and standing for long periods would slow down the healing process.
The waitress stood there, utterly dumbfounded. What was happening?
How could this man not even fear Mr. White? He appeared even more imposing than him.
In White City, Charles held the most power. So who was this man?
And who was this woman?
Even Mr. White was showing concern for her.
Nervously, she grabbed Lacey’s hand and unknowingly tightened her grip. Lacey winced from the pressure and furrowed her brow as she glanced at her cousin, saying, “They’re the ones who caused this trouble. What are you afraid of?”
The waitress grew flustered. She had always relied on her connection with Lacey and Charles to assert her dominance in this mall. No one dared to challenge her before.
Now, she felt like she had encountered an incredibly powerful individual.
She was used to bullying others, and suddenly, someone whom even Charles treated with respect had appeared. It was only natural for her to feel panicked.
“Lacey, who is he?”
“I don’t know,” Lacey admitted. She had never seen him before either.
But it was clear that he was no ordinary person.
This time, the waitress became even more frightened. Even Lacey didn’t know who he was.
Tom forcefully shoved Charles into the disheveled store. The floor was a complete mess, with hardly any space to navigate. Taking a casual glance around, he turned his attention to Matthew and asked with a smirk, “Aren’t they serving you well?”
Matthew sneered and replied indifferently, “Of course, in Mr. White’s territory, nobody dares to cause trouble. But…” He exchanged a knowing look with Boyce and added, “Let’s discuss it after you’ve seen everything.”
Understanding the plan, Boyce instructed someone to retrieve a laptop from the car and placed it on the front desk. He then plugged in a flash drive and clicked on its contents, saying, “I obtained this video from the store’s surveillance. It will reveal what truly transpired.”
The waitress was utterly dumbfounded. How could she have forgotten about the store’s surveillance system?
The damning evidence it contained…
She couldn’t allow Lacey to witness her misdeeds in the store, or all her wrongdoings would be exposed. Frantically, she lunged forward, attempting to destroy the computer and seize the flash drive. However, Boyce had anticipated her reaction and made necessary precautions.
Her attempt was swiftly thwarted.
The video was soon successfully presented.
Moments ago, Boyce whispered in Matthew’s ear, informing him that he had acquired the store’s video and discovered something else as well.
The video didn’t capture Dolores entering the store; instead, it exposed the waitress taking advantage of Lacey’s absence and pocketing money from customers who purchased clothing. She would often threaten customers, insisting they had to buy the clothes they tried on or face the consequences. She would even invoke Charles, claiming he was her benefactor.
In White City, Charles was a name known to all.
Naturally, no one wanted to cross him.
Everyone opted to pay and avoid trouble.
Charles appeared utterly dejected.
It was the most wretched expression Dolores had ever witnessed on his face.
Lacey’s face turned livid, even worse than Charles’s.
Seeing her misdeeds laid bare, the waitress desperately sought an escape but was intercepted by Boyce, who taunted, “Why are you in such a rush to leave?”
“You’ve fabricated all of this! You’re framing me!” The waitress adamantly refused to admit her guilt.
Boyce paid her no mind.
While Boyce had only included the crucial clips, the video played for half an hour before Dolores entered the store.
Initially, the waitress had looked down on Dolores, assuming she couldn’t afford to purchase any clothing. She had then forcibly detained Dolores, insisting that she had to buy something and even resorted to mentioning Charles to intimidate her, suggesting she was a prostitute…
But Dolores remained unfazed. The moment she heard Charles’s name, she was ready to pay the price.
And then, the bodyguards stormed in.
It was evident that the waitress had exhibited appalling behavior and made derogatory remarks.
“Lacey…” At this point, the waitress still attempted to defend herself, “Lacey, it’s all a fabrication by them. They’re setting me up. You mustn’t believe…”
Snap!
Lacey rushed forward and slapped her, a surge of anger trembling through her, “The evidence is overwhelming. Do you still dare to deny it?!”
The waitress covered her face, wide-eyed with shock, as if she hadn’t anticipated Lacey’s sudden assault.
Her face turned half-numb.
“Lacey, I’ve been wrongly accused!” She could only put on a brave face and deny it.
Otherwise, she was doomed.
Lacey gritted her teeth. Even in this situation, the waitress refused to repent.
She still insisted on denying it?
“If you’re willing to face the consequences, no one can save you.” Lacey, seething with fury, surprisingly regained her composure. The people she had attempted to extort today were not ordinary individuals. Even if she didn’t seek retribution, they wouldn’t let her off the hook.
“I’m sorry.” Lacey approached Charles with her head bowed, sincerely apologizing, “I truly had no idea that she used your reputation to blackmail customers just because I mentioned knowing you…”
Charles raised his hand, signaling that he didn’t wish to hear her explanation.
He maintained a smile as he turned to Matthew and inquired, “What’s your plan now?”