Chapter 753


    After saying goodbye to Leanna and going their separate ways, Charlotte seemed to be in low spirits


    when she arrived home. There was no trace of the excitement she disyed when she went out earlier


    that day.


    Charles was reading a book. When he looked up and nced at her, he said calmly, "You almost


    bought everything in the mall, so why do you look so sad now?"


    Charlotte sat down next to him, plopping onto the armrest of the couch. She still looked downcast.


    Charles said, "Come on, I let you go out today, didn''t I? Why do you look so upset? Did someone bully


    you?"


    Sometimeter, Charlotte finally opened her mouth sluggishly. "No."


    For the past two weeks, Charlotte had behaved quite well at home. It was obvious that she knew she


    hadmitted mistakes in the past. Perhaps feeling that her patience was running out, Charles closed


    his book and said, "From tomorrow onward, you don''t have to stay at home anymore. Just go wherever


    you want."


    He thought that Charlotte would be so ted that she would jump for joy, but weirdly enough, she


    simply hummed a response and left it at that.


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    Charles couldn''t stand it anymore. "What exactly is wrong with you? Did you get bullied after all?"


    Charlotte shook her head and forced herself to sit up as she said to him, "Dad, do you think Uncle


    Joseph is really dead?"


    When Charles heard that, his expression sank a little. After a while, he said, "He''s not part of the


    Woodleys anymore, and neither is he your uncle. He has nothing to do with us."


    Charlotte pouted and fell silent.


    Seeing her like that, Charles sighed silently. "Charlotte, I never said much to you about… this incident,


    but you also saw what he did that day. He was nning to kill everyone in the Woodley Family, and he


    even destroyed your grandfather''s ashes. He''s no longer the Uncle Joseph who used to pamper you


    when you were young."


    "But…" Charlotte felt it was inappropriate to say this, but still, she couldn''t help correcting Charles.


    "Those aren''t Grandpa''s ashes, though…"


    Charles was stunned, then said furiously, "You—"


    Charlotte hastily put some distance between them. "I know what you mean, but it''s the truth."


    Charles was silent for a moment before saying, "Have you forgotten what he did to you in Highside?"


    "I didn''t. Uncle Joseph did hire people to take me away, but he never hurt me," Charlotte said quietly. "I


    know what you want to say, and I know Uncle Joseph isn''t a good man, but… you were wrong just now.


    He''s still the same Uncle Joseph who pampered me when I was young."


    Charles was stunned. He swallowed the words he was about to say, unable to retort for a moment.


    No matter how many unforgivable things Joseph did, it was true that he hadn''t harmed Charlotte at all


    —that was precisely why they had nned everything during the funeral.


    Charles sighed and fell silent.


    Charlotte continued, "Someone told me that only I know how Uncle Joseph treated me. People might


    see him as a bad guy, but to me, he''ll always be my Uncle Joseph."


    She did have a point there.


    Charles asked casually, "Who told you that?"


    "Well, it was… Leanna. Aidan''s girlfriend."


    Charles was speechless.


    He was stunned for two seconds before he reprimanded her, saying, "You should be calling her your


    aunt!"


    Charlotte stuck her tongue out at him, then got up and went upstairs. "I don''t care. She''s only a few


    years older than me!"


    Just then, Philip walked out from the side with his cane. "Is Charlotte back?"


    Charles nodded. "Yes, but she''s a little upset because of Joseph."


    Philip sat on the couch and let out a long sigh. "Despite everything, Joseph did treat her well."


    Charles fell silent for a while before saying, "Grandpa, there''s something I want to talk to you about."


    "Is it about Charlotte getting married to L?"


    "Yes. After all this ruckus, the Woodley Family has finally calmed down, and L might require our


    help again. Charlotte, well… She snuck into Highside because she didn''t want to get married to


    L in the first ce. I''ve thought long and hard about it, and I can see that she can''t quite ept


    this marriage. I''ve also asked L about this before, and he said that Charlotte is just a little girl to


    him. He doesn''t have any intention of marrying her."


    Philip touched his cane, saying after a pause, "Charles, L''s grandfather and I arranged this


    marriage while he was still alive. I allowed Charlotte to marry L because it would help strengthen


    the position of the head of the Woodley Family, and it will also help continue the bloodline. We had no


    other options. Do you know why?"


    Charles couldn''t quite understand. "Why?"


    "L is a young man with great ambition. He wants far more than just Jamesdon, which is why he


    tried so hard to get rid of the rules in the Woodley Family. His grandfather realized what he was trying


    to do, so he came to me."


    Charles said, "In other words, the rules have to be abolished, but at the same time, we have to hold


    L back so that he won''t overdo it."


    Philip nodded. "The Woodleys are still the same. It is a family that has existed for hundreds of years, so


    it cannot be destroyed just like that. Charles, L''s grandfather had another reason for letting


    Charlotte marry L. He probably knew that we couldn''t contain L, but if Charlotte married


    him, at least he wouldn''t wipe us out. Do you understand?"


    Charles frowned and fell silent.


    By the looks of it, they weren''t the ones calling the shots in the marriage; it was entirely up to L.


    Moreover, this marriage could control the Woodley Family''s fate, let alone their own family.


    After a while, Charles said, "The way I see it, L''s grandfather wants us to maintain a bnce


    with each other so that the forces in the Woodley Family will be bnced out."


    Philip said, "You have a point, though. This burden shouldn''t fall on the shoulders of a young girl like


    Charlotte. Let''s call off the wedding. As for the future, we''ll talk about it when the timees. Let''s just


    deal with things as we go. I believe that even if L wants to wipe out the Woodleys, he wouldn''t go


    too far."


    Charles replied, "I''ll solve this problem in another two days."


    Philip stood up. "Charlotte might have trouble epting the truth about Joseph. You should talk to her."


    Charles suddenly spoke up. "Do you think L might be behind this?"


    "It doesn''t matter anymore. Joseph has always been the sinner of the Woodley Family. If he hadn''t


    gone that far, I might have spared his life, but sadly… this must be the will of the heavens."


    With that, Philip slowly walked away with his cane.