Melody Strikes Back by Myra Walker (Chapters 596, 597 598, 599, and 600)

Chapter 596

Charlotte’s words nearly confirmed that Rowan had accepted a bribe.

Rowan instinctively glanced at Orion, who narrowed his eyes coldly, his gaze filled with scrutiny and intimidation. Rowan’s legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the floor, his face pale as he weakly tried to defend himself. “It’s not like that, Mr. Riley. Don’t listen to her nonsense…”

“Nonsense? I don’t think so,” Orion said, lifting his hand and tossing the 4-million-dollar check Charlotte had given him onto Rowan’s face.

Rowan flinched violently, his reputation no longer a concern as he grabbed Orion’s trouser leg, pleading. “Mr. Riley, please, just this once, let me go. I’ll return the money and swear it will never happen again.”

Seeing this, Charlotte realized, even with her limited understanding, that Orion was not the person she had thought him to be.

She had inadvertently set Rowan up.

Feeling frustrated, Charlotte quickly sought a way to remedy the situation. “Mr. Riley, Mr. Turner didn’t receive a bribe. He was actually a friend of my grandfather’s. That money was a gift from me as his junior, not a bribe.”

“Really?” Rowan quickly nodded. “We know each other. Her grandfather was my medical professor. Before I joined the Medicines Control Agency, I worked under her grandfather at First Hospital.”

“A gift?” Orion laughed, pointing at the check lying on the floor. “So, is this also a gift?”

Both Charlotte and Rowan fell into a rigid silence.

Rowan cursed Charlotte and her entire family inwardly. ‘If it weren’t for that fool Charlotte, I wouldn’t be in this mess.’

Seeing that he couldn’t clear the accusation about accepting money, Rowan tried to find another way to muddle the issue. His mind raced as he sought a solution.

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

He decided to take a desperate approach and told Orion. Mr. Riley, I admit I was indeed confused today and made a mistake by accepting the money. But I swear this is truly the first time I’ve accepted a bribe. I’m returning the money to her right now.”

As he spoke, Rowan used his phone to transfer the exact amount Charlotte had given him back to her.

After doing this, he added, “But… Mr. Riley, Herbathrive did violate regulations, and that has nothing to do with whether or not I took the money. Although I accepted her money, the matter was handled impartially. Please believe me.” Rowan’s two aides quickly stepped in to support his claims. Of course, many others chose to remain silent. They had been oppressed by Rowan for so long that they were eager to see this parasite exposed.

Seeing this, Charlotte chimed in, “Mr. Riley, Mr. Turner really isn’t lying. If you don’t believe it, you can go check the storage room yourself. There are many things inside that are not in compliance, and there are some weeds I’ve never seen before. I suspect Herbathrive has been engaging in illegal activities, selling these weeds as valuable herbs.” Orion frowned in displeasure. “Herbathrive has a long-standing reputation. They wouldn’t do something like that.” Charlotte and Elton exchanged a glance. It seemed Orion might be leaning toward defending Herbathrive.

Elton stepped forward with a cold sneer. “Mr. Riley, what do you mean by that? Are you concluding Herbathrive’s innocence without even inspecting the evidence? Isn’t that a bit biased? As the head of the Medicines Control Agency, is this how you conduct your investigations?”

Charlotte smirked. “With your approach, if you still think Mr. Turner is at fault… I’d say the real problem is with you.” “What do you mean by that?” Orion shot back. “Are you suggesting I’m deliberately covering up for Herbathrive?” Charlotte shrugged. “We don’t know that for sure. What we do know is that the evidence of Herbathrive’s violations is right here in the storage room, yet you’re turning a blind eye.” Orion’s expression darkened quickly.

He was about to counter Charlotte’s claims and clear Herbathrive when Melody’s voice suddenly interrupted. “Mr. Riley, this storage room belongs to Mr. Herbert personally and has nothing to do with Herbathrive. You can check Herbathrive’s accounts or ask Mr. Herbert himself. Even if it’s a private storage room, it can withstand scrutiny. If you feel uncomfortable, you’re welcome to take a look yourself.” Orion hesitated for a moment, then called over a trusted subordinate. “Go check Herbathrive’s accounts to see if the contents of this storage room belong to them or to Mr. Herbert personally. Also, find out if anyone knows who the storage room belongs to.”

“Understood,” the subordinate nodded and asked, “Where is the accounting office?”

Since Nana, who managed the accounts, was not present, there was only one accountant left. David volunteered. “I’ll take you there.”

The two quickly left the backyard.

Melody then realized she hadn’t seen Nana around and asked Felix, who had come in with her, “Where’s Nana?”

“Humph.” Felix’s white beard quivered with anger. “She ran off with her mother. You picked two ungrateful people.”

Melody frowned slightly, finding it hard to believe she had misjudged Nana.

But this was not the time to worry about Nana. Melody took the lead and approached the storage room door, making a gesture for Orion to enter.

Orion nodded slightly and stepped inside.

Charlotte and the others quickly followed.

As Charlotte passed Melody, her face was full of defiance, as if to say, “You’re in big trouble.”

Melody, with a half-smile, was the last to enter the room.

As soon as she stepped in, she saw the glass shards that Charlotte had kicked against the wall and the withered herb.

When she noticed that the flowers on the herb had completely turned from white to a dead yellow, her face immediately hardened with a frosty expression. She demanded in a stern voice, “Who broke this?”

Charlotte, hearing this, was dismissive. She didn’t think much of the withered herb and scoffed. “It’s just a weed. It got broken, so what? I’ll pay you for it.”

“Pay?” Melody asked sharply. “Do you think you can afford it?”

Charlotte, as if hearing a huge joke, casually responded, Do you think I can’t pay for a mere flower? I could give you a thousand of these flowers if you want.”

“A thousand flowers?” Melody met Charlotte’s gaze, and her initial anger suddenly dissipated. She smiled meaningfully and asked, “Are you sure you can provide a thousand of these flowers?”

“Of course. It’s just a flower. How much could it possibly be worth?” Charlotte replied confidently.

“Very well.” Melody nodded deeply, picking up the withered herb from the floor.

She raised her voice and said, “In that case, let everyone here be a witness that Ms. Wallrich has voluntarily offered to compensate me with a thousand flowers. I hope you all can help if she tries to go back on her word.”

Chapter 597

Elton sensed something was off and quietly advised Charlotte, “Maybe you should check the price of that flower first. What if it’s really expensive?”

Charlotte’s expression darkened. “What’s wrong? Even you’re looking down on me now? No matter how expensive it is, I can afford it.”

She then turned provocatively toward Melody and added, ” Don’t worry. I would never try to weasel out of this. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You’re just clinging to that wildflower to buy time.”

Melody shrugged, adopting a nonchalant attitude about Charlotte’s words.

Charlotte found this ugly woman’s nonchalance rather irksome, but she turned and urged Orion. “Mr. Riley, stop just standing there and get on with it. There are a lot of herbs here that are stored improperly.”

Orion was displeased with Charlotte’s attitude and didn’t respond. His gaze slowly swept over the herbs on the shelves.

Many of these herbs were unfamiliar to him, stored in unusual and bizarre ways.

For example, a plant with petals that resembled a human face was kept in a container of quicklime.

Noticing Orion’s pause at the face-like plant, Rowan immediately stepped forward and pointed at it, “Mr. Riley, do you see? Who would store herbs in quicklime?”

Orion hesitated, finding it odd.

However, after several encounters with Melody, he developed a strong sense of trust in her, so his first instinct was to look to Melody for an explanation.

Sensing Orion’s gaze, Melody stepped forward and explained, “Mr. Riley, you may not know this, but this herb is called the Face Flower. It is highly effective in treating gout and is also reputed to have longevity benefits. Its growing conditions are unique, and the best way to preserve it is indeed in quicklime. However, the Face Flower is extremely rare, nearly extinct, and therefore very expensive. Just this single plant is worth millions of dollars. Colin happened to find it at a market in Althan and decided to bring it back for his collection.”

Rowan immediately took out his phone to look up the Face Flower.

The online records confirmed Melody’s description exactly, noting that it was indeed a rare and treasured item among collectors.

Anyone who obtained a single plant would make headlines, and just as Rowan was searching, he stumbled upon a news article that prominently mentioned Colin’s acquisition of one.

Seeing this news, a chill ran down Rowan’s back.

The price of such an inconspicuous flower was actually over millions of dollars.

‘How much are those weeds I impulsively pulled out worth?’ he thought anxiously.

At this moment, Melody noticed that several carefully cultivated Velvet Grass had been violently uprooted.

She immediately furrowed her brow and asked, “Who pulled these out?”

Rowan’s eyes darted away, and he suddenly regretted coming to Herbathrive.

Not only had he potentially lost the money Charlotte had given him, but he might also face additional financial liability.

Orion glanced at the damaged grass under the lights and suspected that these seemingly insignificant plants might also be valuable. He coldly asked Rowan, “Did you pull these out during your inspection?”

“No, no… I didn’t know about this,” Rowan said, avoiding eye contact with Orion, clearly uncomfortable.

His reaction caught Melody’s attention.

She narrowed her eyes and said with a faint smile, “It’s fine if no one admits to it. Almost all the herbs in the storage room are quite valuable, so there are cameras everywhere. Every corner is under surveillance. I’ll check the footage shortly.”

Rowan broke into a cold sweat and stammered, “Um… are these grasses as expensive as the Face Flower?”

“Not as expensive as the Face Flower,” Melody replied.

Rowan breathed a sigh of relief, but just as he was about to admit his mistake, Melody continued, “These are Velvet Grass, a new variety jointly developed by the Halcyon Medical Institute and the Agricultural Institute. They have properties similar to ginseng but are extremely difficult to cultivate.

“Mr. Herbert is known for his exceptional cultivation skills, so the Agricultural Institute entrusted him with this task. They are about to invite both parties to inspect the plants as they are nearly ready for harvest. Now that half of them have been violently pulled out. I imagine Mr. Herbert will be even angrier. After all, this involves a lot of people’s hard work and multiple technological developments. The Agricultural and Medical Institutes might even pursue legal action.”

At this point, Rowan could no longer hold himself together. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor, his face turning ashen.

Melody, inwardly sneering, maintained a facade of concern and confusion as she asked, “Mr. Turner, what’s the matter? Why did you suddenly collapse? Should I check your pulse to see if you’re suffering from heatstroke?”

“No, no…” Rowan tried to speak, but his voice trembled uncontrollably.

At this moment, he was no longer thinking about the closure of Herbathrive; his only concern was finding a way to address the issue with the Agricultural Institute.

Others quickly rushed over to help Rowan up, but he seemed almost lifeless and could barely stand without support.

Charlotte, observing Rowan’s condition, immediately understood what was happening.

She sneered disdainfully, thinking to herself how pathetic Rowan was.

‘He is so terrible. So what if it’s the Agricultural Institute and the Medical Institute? My grandfather knows them. Although he’s stubborn, he won’t ignore me,’ she thought. With this in mind, Charlotte stepped forward, showing a sense of righteousness. “I was the one who pulled the grass. I will take the initiative to contact them for compensation.”

Rowan’s eyes immediately brightened at her words, and he regained enough composure to stand firmly.

Melody let out a soft laugh and turned to Charlotte with a leisurely gaze. “Ms. Wallrich, are you certain you pulled the grass?”

“Of course I’m certain. What’s there to be uncertain about?” Charlotte replied, curling her lip in annoyance. “You’re so nitpicky. Let’s deal with these things after the inspection. Mr. Riley, Mr. Turner, please focus on the main issues and continue your investigation.”

Her impatience was palpable.

With Charlotte willingly taking on the responsibility, Rowan quickly regained his composure and led Orion to the areas he had previously thought might be problematic.

However, each time they inspected an area, Melody was able to use her expertise to explain why their storage methods were perfectly acceptable.

Rowan wanted to accuse Melody of being evasive, but upon checking the records, he found that her explanations were accurate.

Soon, every corner of the storage room had been thoroughly inspected, and no issues could be found.

“This is impossible…” Charlotte murmured, unwilling to accept the outcome as she raised her voice. “There must be something that’s been overlooked. Mr. Turner, are you sure you’ve checked everything thoroughly?”

Rowan glanced at Orion’s face and, with a stiff expression, replied, “We’ve checked everything… and indeed, there are no issues.”

Even the storage of the ginseng, which they had initially considered the most problematic, was found to be properly explained.

Everything was found to be in compliance with regulations.

Chapter 598

“This is impossible. It’s absolutely impossible,” Charlotte exclaimed, her eyes blazing with frustration. “There were clearly problems just a moment ago. Why are there no issues now?”

“Enough,” Orion said coldly, cutting her off. “This department is not here to settle your personal grudges. We’ve already wasted too much time on this because of you. Are you going to keep wasting our time? If you persist, Herbathrive has grounds to sue you.”

“No…” Charlotte felt an intense sense of injustice, her eyes turning red with anger as she glared at Melody.

‘Bitch, she cursed inwardly.

She had hoped to see this hideous woman panic and beg for mercy, but now she was powerless to affect her, which drove her to the brink of madness.

She wanted revenge for what happened to the drainage ditch.

Elton’s expression was equally dark.

But his concern wasn’t about revenge.

The minor issue of failing to find evidence against Herbathrive was nothing compared to the major problem of being unable to secure an internship there.

Given the commotion they had caused today, no other hospital would accept them.

Moreover, Herbathrive was the only hospital recognized by the school, leaving them without their last opportunity for an internship.

At this point, he could only hope that the Wallrich family’s two stubborn old-timers wouldn’t be so ruthless as to deny Charlotte her graduation if she couldn’t complete the internship.

Just then, the staff Orion had sent to check the accounts returned.

He didn’t notice the tense expressions on Charlotte and the others’ faces and reported straightforwardly, “Mr. Riley, there are no records of herbs for this storage room in the accounts. All the herbs sold at Herbathrive are kept in their main hall’s herb storage and counters.

“Additionally, I inquired around the area, and some residents are familiar with this storage room. They say it contains many valuable herbs from Mr. Herbert’s personal collection. Therefore, based on the evidence, it appears that the herbs in this storage room indeed belong to Mr. Herbert personally.”

The fact that no problems were found with the storage room made whether it was private or not irrelevant.

However, this investigation result was a major blow to Rowan.

Orion’s face grew even darker as he realized how blind he had been to Rowan’s true nature.

He gritted his teeth, staring at Rowan with frustration and disappointment. “What do you have to say for me now?” Rowan’s lips trembled. “Mr. Riley, please let me explain. I genuinely didn’t know it was a private storage room. I really thought it was Herbathrive’s herb storage.”

Orion sneered. “So, in your ignorance, you barged into someone’s private storage and forcibly detained their staff?”

“I…” Rowan’s throat tightened, and he was at a loss for words.

Melody turned to glance at the bruises on David’s face and spoke calmly, “Mr. Riley, I assume you wouldn’t mind if I called the police to report this break-in and the disturbance caused?”

Orion, though aware that such actions might tarnish the Medicines Control Agency’s public image, was known for his integrity and did not hesitate. “I wouldn’t mind. Feel free to call the police.”

“No…” Rowan’s knees buckled, and he fell to the floor, grabbing Orion’s pant leg. “Mr. Riley, you can’t let her call the police. If the police get involved, I’m finished. The reputation of the Medicines Control Agency will be ruined.

Even if you don’t care about me, you should think about the agency’s reputation.”

Rowan’s two loyal subordinates immediately began pleading. “Mr. Riley, please spare us. We’ll never do this again.”

Orion remained expressionless. “If I continue to cover for you, it will be a real disgrace to the Medicines Control Agency.”

Melody looked at the other anxious staff members of the Medicines Control Agency and said loudly, “I understand many of you were pressured into this, and those who didn’t cause damage to the storage room’s herbs can be forgiven by Herbathrive. You just need to compensate for the loss of customer flow today.”

At these words, everyone visibly relaxed.

Rowan’s two die-hard subordinates, after a moment of hesitation, quickly began distancing themselves from him. “Mr. Riley, we were also forced into this. Please show mercy and let us go.”

“Yeah, Rowan has always threatened us into doing things. If we refused, he’d make our lives miserable, constantly berating and mistreating us.”

The two subordinates continued to shift the blame, eventually spilling all the dirty deeds Rowan had forced them to do.

When they revealed the amount of dirty money Rowan had accepted, many people gasped in shock.

They had always known he took bribes, but they never imagined it was this much.

“Not only that, we know he doesn’t keep the money for himself. He stashes it all at his mistress’s place,” someone added.

“Shut up!” Rowan, panicking, lunged to strangle the man who had spoken, but Melody swiftly kicked him, sending him flying.

“This is what you call acting in self-defense, not an attack on you,” Melody said with a smirk.

“You…” Rowan, wincing in pain, struggled to his feet, about to curse Melody when Orion’s voice suddenly boomed, filled with anger. “Enough!”

Rowan trembled, terror filling his eyes as he looked at Orion. “N-no, Mr. Riley, please, let me explain…”

“Explain? More like making excuses,” Orion responded coldly. “I will immediately file a report on your actions to our superiors. As for your two subordinates, the higher-ups will decide how to deal with you.”

“The superiors…”

That meant all the money he had painstakingly amassed over the years would be confiscated.

God knows, without Orion’s discovery, he hadn’t even spent much of it; he’d always dressed modestly and lived frugally. ‘I’ve never even gotten to enjoy it, and now it’s all going to be taken away?’ he wondered.

Suddenly, Rowan’s gaze snapped to Charlotte, his eyes bloodshot with murderous intent.

Charlotte flinched, instinctively hiding behind Elton. “Mr. Turner, you can’t blame me! You agreed to take my money. Besides, this is the first time I’ve asked you to do anything; everything before this has nothing to do with me…”

But her words only poured fuel on the fire in Rowan’s chest.

He lost all reason, charging at Charlotte like a madman.” Bitch, die!”

If he was going down, he was going to take someone with him.

His career was in ruins, his money would be seized, and his wife would divorce him once she learned the truth.

Everything in his life had been destroyed because of Charlotte.

Rowan moved so quickly that even Elton, standing in front of Charlotte, didn’t react in time.

Of course, that level of speed was nothing to Melody, but she remained rooted to the spot, showing no intention of intervening.

She had no obligation to help them. She had only stopped Rowan earlier because she needed those two subordinates to testify against him.

But as for Charlotte, there was no reason to stop her.

What Charlotte was about to face was a consequence of her own actions.

Chapter 599

Without Melody to stop him, the others had no time to react in that fleeting moment.

In the blink of an eye, Rowan had already grabbed Charlotte by the collar, one hand gripping her throat while the other ruthlessly slapped her face over and over.

Within mere seconds, Charlotte’s face was swollen beyond recognition, deep gashes marking her cheeks, clearly destined to leave scars.

“Ahhh… help me!” she screamed, trying desperately to escape, but she was no match for Rowan.

By the time Elton snapped out of it and rushed forward to pull Rowan away, Charlotte’s face had been utterly disfigured, a bloody, mangled mess, with even the skin on her right cheek peeling back visibly.

This meant that no matter how skilled the cosmetic surgeon, her face would never return to its original state.

“My face… my face…” Charlotte curled up on the floor, her hands trembling uncontrollably.

Elton quickly cradled her, soothing, “Don’t worry. It’s okay… I’m here.”

“My face is ruined, completely ruined!” she roared.

“It doesn’t matter, Charlotte,” he reassured her, “Even if your face is beyond recognition, I’ll never leave you.”

Only then did Charlotte calm down slightly, though she still trembled all over.

Despite being dragged away, Rowan wasn’t ready to let it go. Not even Orion’s furious scolding could faze him.

Having lost everything, Rowan couldn’t care less about Orion’s authority.

His eyes darted around until they landed on a stone lying a short distance away, the very stone Charlotte had used earlier to break open the storage room’s lock.

Rowan quickly snatched up the stone, ready to charge at Charlotte again.

It was only then that Melody issued a command to David. ” Hold him down. We can’t have anyone dying in the hospital.” “Yes,” Although David and the others took a certain satisfaction in Charlotte’s misfortune, they couldn’t afford to be implicated in a death at Herbathrive. So, without hesitation, David and his men stepped in to restrain Rowan.

Rowan struggled like a man possessed, determined to finish Charlotte off, and it took the combined efforts of Orion’s men to finally subdue him.

Just then, the police officers Melody had called arrived on the scene.

Along with the police officers came officials from the prosecutor’s office, summoned by Orion.

Rowan and his two subordinates were quickly detained, leaving Charlotte alone, wailing over her disfigured face. One of the police officers, maintaining a professional tone, approached Charlotte. “Miss, you’ll need to come with us to the hospital for an injury assessment, and to get treated as well.”

Since Herbathrive couldn’t provide an official medical report, she had to go to a modern hospital.

The assessment was necessary to document her injuries fully, which could support her claim for compensation from Rowan.

However, Charlotte wasn’t in the mood to cooperate. As she struggled to stand, she lashed out at the innocent officer. “An injury assessment? For what? Can’t you see my face is already ruined? Can he ever repay me for what he did? I want him dead. Execute him immediately!”

The officer, looking exasperated, patiently explained, “I’m sorry, but we don’t have the authority for that. Please accompany the medical examiner to the hospital and follow the necessary procedures. We can also treat your injuries there.”

“Get lost! Get out of my sight! Are you all in cahoots with Rowan and that ugly freak? I told you to execute them, are you deaf?”

Melody couldn’t help but shrug at Charlotte’s outburst.

‘Rowan is the one who attacked me. How did I get dragged into this?’ She thought to herself that Charlotte must have completely lost her mind.

The last time she had encountered someone this unhinged was Cadence, who by now might have grass growing over her grave.

‘Why do I keep running into such weirdos?’ she wondered.

“Officers, it might be best to remove this young lady forcibly. Otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble she’ll stir up next.” Melody suggested in a calm tone, which only fueled Charlotte’s fury.

“Bitch! You’re happy about my disfigurement because you’re ugly yourself, aren’t you? Honestly, whether you’re disfigured or not doesn’t matter to me,” Charlotte replied, unfazed.

“Don’t lie! You’re so ugly, your heart must be just as dark. But don’t get too comfortable. I’m the granddaughter of Oliver from First Hospital. He owns many companies, and I promise you, Herbathrive won’t be operating for much longer. Just wait and see,” she added.

Elton, sensing the tension among the police officers, tried to calm Charlotte down. “Charlotte, you need to cool down. This isn’t the time for threats…”

“Shut up! Who asked for your opinion? Let me tell you, even disfigured. You’re not good enough for me. If you won’t defend me, at least don’t try to stop me. Or do you want me to dump you right now?” she wondered.

Elton awkwardly cleared his throat, his embarrassed expression revealing the turmoil he felt inside.

“Melody, I’m warning you. You’ve messed with someone you shouldn’t have. You’re dealing with the future heir of the Wallrich family,” Charlotte continued her tirade.

But just as the last word left her mouth, an elderly but strong voice cut through the air. “Nonsense. Charlotte, is this what I’ve taught you?”

Charlotte instantly stiffened, her back going rigid as she turned in disbelief toward the voice.

In the next moment, her eyes widened in shock. Grandfather… Why are you here?”

Melody and the others also looked in the direction Charlotte was staring, equally surprised.

At the entrance to the backyard stood an elderly man with a thick white beard, even more impressive than Felix’s.

This was undoubtedly Oliver Wallrich, the head of First Hospital.

However, David’s attention wasn’t on Oliver at first. What caught his eye was the sight of Talia and Nana standing just behind him.

His eyes lit up with excitement when he saw them, particularly Nana.

‘So, she didn’t run away after all’, he thought, feeling a surge of relief and excitement that he couldn’t quite explain.

Almost instinctively, he grabbed Felix, who had been criticizing Nana earlier, and said, “Mr. Hamilton, see? Nana didn’t run away. She brought Oliver here.”

Felix, noticing David’s joy, smiled sheepishly and stroked his beard. “Alright, I see that. I’ll apologize to her later, okay?”

David finally felt completely at ease. He quickly walked over to Nana.

Taking advantage of the fact that everyone else’s attention was on Oliver, a low voice, he asked, “Why didn’t you answer my calls earlier? Everyone thought you’d run off.”

“I’m no coward,” Nana replied, nodding in Oliver’s direction. I didn’t pick up because I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get him to come. But luckily, Oliver turned out to be reasonable. As soon as he heard that Charlotte was causing trouble at Herbathrive, he insisted on coming here with us before we even had a chance to ask.”

David nodded vigorously and stood beside Nana, feeling a deep sense of camaraderie.

Talia, who had been somewhat overlooked in the excitement, didn’t mind at all. She smiled warmly at the sight of David and Nana standing together.

Meanwhile, Oliver had already approached Charlotte.

Chapter 600

Charlotte never expected to see Oliver here, but the moment she noticed Nana’s expression, she instantly understood why.

‘Damn it, the people at Herbathrive are more cunning than I thought. They deliberately brought Grandpa over while I was saying those things. This is bad, really bad,’ she wondered.

Charlotte’s heart was racing, but deep down, she still believed that Oliver would stand by her side.

‘After all, I am his only granddaughter and the most legitimate heir, raised to be the successor from a young age. No matter how outrageous I might have been, he wouldn’t side with outsiders in front of so many people.’ With that thought, Charlotte’s anxiety eased a little.

She fought back the pain on her face and tried to look as pitiful as possible. “Grandpa, you have to help me! These people are all bullying me, and they’ve even ruined my face…” Elton did not expect Oliver to come to Herbathrive.

After panicking for a moment, his thoughts were obviously the same as Jia Ziyu’s. No matter how old-fashioned and upright he was, he would not side with an outsider at this time. ‘After all, I’m his biological granddaughter, she thought.

With that in mind, Elton stepped in to assist. “Mr. Wallrich, Charlotte, and I…”

“Shut up,” Oliver coldly interrupted, his voice icy. “This has nothing to do with you. Get out.”

Elton’s face darkened, but he had no choice but to swallow his words and step back. After all, Charlotte wasn’t the head of the Wallrich family yet.

Besides, Oliver had never liked him, and Elton had grown accustomed to this attitude long ago.

As long as Charlotte inherited the family, all these slights would be worth it.

As Elton stepped aside, Charlotte’s unease grew. ‘Could Grandpa really be so heartless?’ she wondered, tears welling up as she tried to look even more aggrieved.” Grandpa…”

In the next moment, Oliver raised his hand and slapped Charlotte across the face.

The sharp sound echoed through the room, and the pain, combined with the injuries Rowan had already inflicted, made Charlotte scream in agony. “Ah…”

Elton was shocked and quickly moved to protect Charlotte, trying to defend her. “Mr. Wallrich, how could you hit Charlotte? This isn’t entirely her fault. It’s all because…”

“Shut up,” Oliver snapped. “Don’t think you can deceive me just because you’re older. I learned everything on my way here.

“You and Charlotte threatened and intimidated the people at Herbathrive just to get an internship certification. And that’s not all. I’ve seen the footage from the backyard. When intimidation didn’t work, you even brought Rowan in to meddle.

“I’ve seen everything you did today clearly on my phone. Don’t even think about denying it.”

Nana stood triumphantly behind Oliver, waving her phone at Elton.

The screen displayed footage from the backyard, making it clear that Oliver had witnessed everything they did on his way over.

Elton’s legs gave out, and he almost collapsed.

Beside him, Charlotte’s face turned ashen, her voice trembling as she tried to defend herself. “Grandpa, I…”

“There’s no need to say anything,” Oliver cut her off sharply.” You’re no longer my granddaughter. It’s bad enough that you did wrong without any remorse, but to lie and claim others were bullying you? Where did you learn to twist the truth like this? Certainly not from your grandmother or me. From this day forward, you are no longer my granddaughter. Go live with your parents, and don’t come looking for us again. We’re ashamed of you.”

Charlotte’s face drained of all color as she stared wide-eyed in disbelief. “Grandpa, what do you mean by that?”

“Isn’t it clear enough? From now on, we sever all ties as grandfather and granddaughter. You are no longer a member of the Wallrich family,” he said.

“No, Grandpa, you must be joking, right?” Charlotte forced a smile, reaching out to grab Oliver’s sleeve, but he brusquely shook her off.

“You know very well I’m not joking. You’re just as rotten as your parents. I once thought you were different, that you could be taught, but I was wrong. My lifetime of honor has been destroyed by two generations of our family. From now on, you can’t use my name for anything. I’ll be making a public statement to announce our severed ties, just as I did with your parents.”

Charlotte’s vision darkened as she lost her balance, collapsing to the ground.

She knew that Oliver would never joke about something like this.

Once he made a decision, it was final, with no chance of reversal.

Her life as a pampered heiress was over.

If she had known this would happen, she wouldn’t have stubbornly fought Herbathrive over a mere internship certification.

As he looked down at Charlotte, now crumpled on the ground in despair, Oliver showed no sign of compassion.

He was a man of unwavering resolve; call him old-fashioned or stubborn, but at his age, he wasn’t going to change.

And he never regretted any decision he made.

This time, Oliver was truly disappointed in Charlotte.

If he didn’t sever ties with her today, the entire Wallrich family would eventually be destroyed by her hands.

He looked away, his voice cold and unyielding. “When Nana came to me, I thought you were just causing some minor trouble, like always. I figured, with your grandmother about to undergo surgery, I’d give you a stern talking-to, then take you to see her.

“You could keep her company and maybe lift her spirits. But well… this is far from minor. You nearly drove a perfectly fine hospital to the brink of collapse.

“In the past, I could turn a blind eye to your tantrums, but this time, you’ve crossed a line I can’t ignore. I don’t want to give you any more chances. From now on, you’re on your own.”

Oliver had finally seen Charlotte’s true nature, and this time, there was no going back.

He turned to leave, his decision firm.

Desperate, Elton rushed forward to block his path. “Mr. Wallrich, you can’t really cut ties with Charlotte like this! She’s always been so devoted to you. You know that better than anyone!”

Oliver’s patience had worn thin. “How many times have I told you to shut up? Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours. If you don’t want to make this situation even more embarrassing, step aside.”

“But you…” Elton stammered, but Oliver didn’t bother listening to another word. He simply pushed Elton aside and strode out, his steps resolute.

As he neared the exit of the backyard, Oliver suddenly turned back. “Who is in charge of Herbathrive?”

“I am.” Melody stepped forward, her gaze meeting Oliver’s with a hint of amusement. “I’m the person in charge here. Mr. Wallrich, it’s an honor to finally meet you.”

“I’m ashamed,” Oliver replied with a shake of his head. “I deeply apologize for today. If there’s anything First Hospital can do to assist you in the future, just send Nana to me.”

Melody opened her mouth, ready to bring up the issue of the impostor, but she hesitated and held back. Now wasn’t the right time.

Now was not the best time…

“Alright,” she said instead, watching Oliver leave before turning her attention to Charlotte, who was still stricken with despair. “Ms. Wallrich, I know you’re not in the best of spirits right now, but we still have two accounts to settle.”

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