Novel Storm
Chapter 18
Chapter 18
"No, I didn't steal anything."
Although she was still clueless as to why this man was standing before her, Charlotte would never succumb and admit something she did not do.
"Great." With that, Shane nodded and didn't speak a word further. No one could tell what was going through his mind.
At this moment, everyone in the banquet hall was taken aback. At once, they were prompted to view Charlotte through different lenses.
Who was she?
How was she related to Shane? Who was she for him to initiate a conversation with her?
Behind him, Yuliana instantly recognized Charlotte's mottled dress.
She was floored, but Elaine abruptly pulled her aside.
"What's going on? How did Shane and Charlotte get to know each other?" Elaine asked fiercely in a low voice.
"I have no idea! Charlotte? Ah! She's Ch-" Yuliana almost cried out in surprise. Fortunately, Elaine was quick enough to cover her mouth before she could shriek.
Elaine rolled her eyes at her silly sister out of frustration.
Charlotte had already appeared, yet Yuliana was still in blissful ignorance!
However, an idea popped into her head in the blink of an eye. Charlotte had no evidence in her hands. Having Shane to back her up would not help her situation at all.
As her train of thought faded, a smile reappeared on Elaine's face. She hauled Yuliana behind her and butted her way through the crowd to stand before Shane.
"Brother- in- law, it's too kind of you to rush over as the busy man you are," cooed Elaine in a sweet, pretentious voice.
In a flash, everyone's attention was drawn back to Yuliana.
Charlotte could feel her heart skip a beat. Who would have thought that her boss was related to Elaine?
That could only mean that she was in a terrible spot now!
Before Charlotte's thoughts could run wild, Shane spoke.
"Madam Emerson, she's an employee of my company. You claimed that she stole something of yours, would you kindly present the evidence?"
Without delay, Elaine's face distorted into an ugly grimace. She hadn't expected Shane to leave her no way out, let alone defend Charlotte to this extent.
"Everyone saw it with their own eyes. The guards found my necklace in her bag."
"Hm?" Shane turned to look at Charlotte and asked, "Is that so?"
Charlotte stared back at Shane with large, bewildered eyes.
'Is he really trying to defend me?'
'Isn’t he Elaine's brother-in-law?'
Rather peculiarly, Charlotte felt reassured at heart as she met Shane's cold eyes. She felt that the man in front of her was a person deserving of her trust. And so, she nodded. "That seems to be the case."
There was no need for her to quibble about the matter as she stood before so many witnesses.
"Look, she admitted it, didn’t she?" Elaine declared with a sinister smile. Belongs to NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.
Seeing Elaine’s self- gratification, Charlotte frowned. Looking away, she chose to focus on the man in front of her instead.
Though she was unclear about this man's character, she could tell from his demeanor that he was someone whom the Emerson family was cautious around to avoid getting on his bad side. This was the perfect reason for her to take this opportunity to prove her innocence.
Hence, she began gently, "Earlier, a servant bumped into me. Thereafter, Madam Emerson' s necklace appeared in my bag. In this case, that servant is just as suspicious as I am."
Seeing her explained herself in a calm and composed manner, Shane was filled with a sense of praise and approval.
It seemed to him that this woman was not as stupid as he thought. He realized that she hadn't tried to clarify things earlier only because she felt that the timing and place were not optimal.
But now, she knew that this was a good time, and she actually used him to clear her name.
Recalling his encounter with clever little Sheryl at the mall the other day, he could see the resemblance in the two situations.
'This woman and her child are really interesting!’ Shane thought.
"If so, we’d have to trouble Madam Emerson to summon the servants." Shane turned his unfathomable gaze to Elaine.