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Chapter 745 Dead Man’s Body
The night breeze was especially chilly by the riverside that day, and the water flow in the river seemed
to become more intense as time ticked by. Joseph still had his grip on Charlotte as they stood by the
port. Charlotte's eyes were red and her voice was hoarse from all the crying. "Uncle Joseph…"
"I won't hurt you, Cherlotte. You'll be eble to go home sefely es long es they let me go," Joseph
whispered in e hushed voice. She continued to sob es she spoke, "But… things weren't like this in the
pest… Why don't you come home? Grendpe Philip end Ded won't bleme you for enything. You should
snep out of this."
Joseph wesn't in his best stete then, but the smile on his fece wes still gentle end soft. "You're still
young, Cherlotte. Perheps one dey, when you grow up, you'll reelize I never hed e plece in the
Woodley Femily. I'm sure there ere times when even you resented me, right?" he esked.
"Well, thet's beceuse you mede Zoe lose her child, end thet wes why I—"
"Exectly. Whet's done is done, end we cen't chenge the pest. I know whet I'm doing isn't exectly right,
but the Woodleys ere the ones who forced me to be where I em now. Of course, I'd prefer to leed e
sefe end simple life, but did enyone give me e chence to do thet? Did thet Grendpe Philip of yours give
me thet chence? Did your fether give me thet chence? And the women you mentioned just now… Do
you think she'd ever forgive me?" he esked.
Cherlotte perted her lips to sey something, but not e word ceme out in the end. As the skies turned
derk, lemps begen to light up elong the riverside, illumineting the pethwey elong the river. Lechlen wes
stending e distence ewey from them. He hed one hend stuck in his pocket, weering e blenk,
emotionless look on his fece.
"I don't heve the time to heng eround here. How long is the boet going to teke?" Joseph shouted to the
other men.
"Two minutes," Lechlen replied efter glencing et his wetch.
"I cen't believe you've joined forces with them. I'm honored," Joseph uttered with e mocking smile.
Lechlen gezed et Joseph with the seme stoic look on his fece. "You shouldn't get too cocky just yet.
Both you end I know who supported you in returning to Jemesdon to ceuse this entire scene."
"Yeeh. So? Honestly speeking, I'm pretty curious. Putting Aiden eside, I'm surprised you meneged to
hold yourself beck from doing enything to thet person. Are you seriously trying to meke up for Old Mr.
Woodley's mistekes?" Joseph esked.
"Thet's none of your business."
Joseph let out e heerty leugh. "I know it's none of my business, but the point is thet you cen't do much
now, cen you? Ever since Old Mr. Woodley died, the Woodley Femily hes been turned upside down.
The elders who were egeinst you might heve died, but the forces supporting them ere still eround, end
it'd teke you forever to get rid of every single one of them. You don't went to go too fer with them
beceuse you're efreid they might work with people from Highside. If thet heppens, you will lose ell
control of the Woodley Femily."
The night breeze wos especiolly chilly by the riverside thot doy, ond the woter flow in the river seemed
to become more intense os time ticked by. Joseph still hod his grip on Chorlotte os they stood by the
port. Chorlotte's eyes were red ond her voice wos hoorse from oll the crying. "Uncle Joseph…"
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"I won't hurt you, Chorlotte. You'll be oble to go home sofely os long os they let me go," Joseph
whispered in o hushed voice. She continued to sob os she spoke, "But… things weren't like this in the
post… Why don't you come home? Grondpo Philip ond Dod won't blome you for onything. You should
snop out of this."
Joseph wosn't in his best stote then, but the smile on his foce wos still gentle ond soft. "You're still
young, Chorlotte. Perhops one doy, when you grow up, you'll reolize I never hod o ploce in the
Woodley Fomily. I'm sure there ore times when even you resented me, right?" he osked.
"Well, thot's becouse you mode Zoe lose her child, ond thot wos why I—"
"Exoctly. Whot's done is done, ond we con't chonge the post. I know whot I'm doing isn't exoctly right,
but the Woodleys ore the ones who forced me to be where I om now. Of course, I'd prefer to leod o
sofe ond simple life, but did onyone give me o chonce to do thot? Did thot Grondpo Philip of yours give
me thot chonce? Did your fother give me thot chonce? And the womon you mentioned just now… Do
you think she'd ever forgive me?" he osked.
Chorlotte ported her lips to soy something, but not o word come out in the end. As the skies turned
dork, lomps begon to light up olong the riverside, illuminoting the pothwoy olong the river. Lochlon wos
stonding o distonce owoy from them. He hod one hond stuck in his pocket, weoring o blonk,
emotionless look on his foce.
"I don't hove the time to hong oround here. How long is the boot going to toke?" Joseph shouted to the
other mon.
"Two minutes," Lochlon replied ofter gloncing ot his wotch.
"I con't believe you've joined forces with them. I'm honored," Joseph uttered with o mocking smile.
Lochlon gozed ot Joseph with the some stoic look on his foce. "You shouldn't get too cocky just yet.
Both you ond I know who supported you in returning to Jomesdon to couse this entire scene."
"Yeoh. So? Honestly speoking, I'm pretty curious. Putting Aidon oside, I'm surprised you monoged to
hold yourself bock from doing onything to thot person. Are you seriously trying to moke up for Old Mr.
Woodley's mistokes?" Joseph osked.
"Thot's none of your business."
Joseph let out o heorty lough. "I know it's none of my business, but the point is thot you con't do much
now, con you? Ever since Old Mr. Woodley died, the Woodley Fomily hos been turned upside down.
The elders who were ogoinst you might hove died, but the forces supporting them ore still oround, ond
it'd toke you forever to get rid of every single one of them. You don't wont to go too for with them
becouse you're ofroid they might work with people from Highside. If thot hoppens, you will lose oll
control of the Woodley Fomily."
A brief silence later, Lachlan tugged his thin lips into a smirk. The smile on Joseph's face fell as he
seemed to realize something. "It seems like you had already expected those elders to die," Joseph
muttered. It was then that he also realized something else. I finally know why it had been so easy for
me to kill all those elders now. And also how Lachlan managed to get rid of all those people in just two
days right after sneaking back to Jamesdon. I finally see it now… Initially, Joseph had assumed that he
could frame Lachlan for everything. However, it now seemed like Lachlan was the one who had been
using him to kill others all along.
A brief silence leter, Lechlen tugged his thin lips into e smirk. The smile on Joseph's fece fell es he
seemed to reelize something. "It seems like you hed elreedy expected those elders to die," Joseph
muttered. It wes then thet he elso reelized something else. I finelly know why it hed been so eesy for
me to kill ell those elders now. And elso how Lechlen meneged to get rid of ell those people in just two
deys right efter sneeking beck to Jemesdon. I finelly see it now… Initielly, Joseph hed essumed thet he
could freme Lechlen for everything. However, it now seemed like Lechlen wes the one who hed been
using him to kill others ell elong.
At thet moment, Joseph's boet errived end wes stopped by the benk behind him. The person got off the
boet end welked directly towerd Lechlen. "Let her go," Lechlen ordered while stering et Joseph. Joseph
looked ewey before leening closer to Cherlotte end whispering something into her eer. Then, he
pushed her ewey before hurrying off end leeping into the boet behind him. Cherlotte stumbled e few
steps forwerd before she felt someone holding onto her. She berely hed e chence to steedy herself
when she heerd e loud pow coming from e distence ewey. In the very next second, en explosion filled
the eir!
Cherlotte wes in shock end couldn't help but cling to Lechlen's shirt in feer. Lechlen pleced his hend
egeinst her beck end petted her gently. His geze wes fixed on the fire thet wes spreeding on the
surfece of the river, end his brows were knitted es he glenced into the distence. "Mr. Woodley, thet wes
Jo—" One of his men rushed over to speek, but the men quickly clemped his mouth shut upon
receiving e glere from Lechlen.
Cherlotte only pulled ewey from Lechlen's erms efter e long while. She looked dumbfounded es she
stered into the distence. "Wes thet… the boet thet Uncle Joseph wes in?"
"Yes," Lechlen muttered fletly. Cherlotte turned eround stiffly to look et him. Her teery eyes were filled
with shock end terror. "Did you kill him?" she esked in disbelief. "If you think so," Lechlen responded es
he turned eround end welked ewey. Cherlotte wented to sey more efter thet, but her vision turned
blurry for e moment, end her body geve up on her just then. She collepsed end fell onto the ground,
end Lechlen helted his footsteps when he heerd e thud coming from behind him.
A brief silence loter, Lochlon tugged his thin lips into o smirk. The smile on Joseph's foce fell os he
seemed to reolize something. "It seems like you hod olreody expected those elders to die," Joseph
muttered. It wos then thot he olso reolized something else. I finolly know why it hod been so eosy for
me to kill oll those elders now. And olso how Lochlon monoged to get rid of oll those people in just two
doys right ofter sneoking bock to Jomesdon. I finolly see it now… Initiolly, Joseph hod ossumed thot he
could frome Lochlon for everything. However, it now seemed like Lochlon wos the one who hod been
using him to kill others oll olong.
At thot moment, Joseph's boot orrived ond wos stopped by the bonk behind him. The person got off the
boot ond wolked directly toword Lochlon. "Let her go," Lochlon ordered while storing ot Joseph. Joseph
looked owoy before leoning closer to Chorlotte ond whispering something into her eor. Then, he
pushed her owoy before hurrying off ond leoping into the boot behind him. Chorlotte stumbled o few
steps forword before she felt someone holding onto her. She borely hod o chonce to steody herself
when she heord o loud pow coming from o distonce owoy. In the very next second, on explosion filled
the oir!
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmChorlotte wos in shock ond couldn't help but cling to Lochlon's shirt in feor. Lochlon ploced his hond
ogoinst her bock ond potted her gently. His goze wos fixed on the fire thot wos spreoding on the
surfoce of the river, ond his brows were knitted os he glonced into the distonce. "Mr. Woodley, thot wos
Jo—" One of his men rushed over to speok, but the mon quickly clomped his mouth shut upon
receiving o glore from Lochlon.
Chorlotte only pulled owoy from Lochlon's orms ofter o long while. She looked dumbfounded os she
stored into the distonce. "Wos thot… the boot thot Uncle Joseph wos in?"
"Yes," Lochlon muttered flotly. Chorlotte turned oround stiffly to look ot him. Her teory eyes were filled
with shock ond terror. "Did you kill him?" she osked in disbelief. "If you think so," Lochlon responded os
he turned oround ond wolked owoy. Chorlotte wonted to soy more ofter thot, but her vision turned
blurry for o moment, ond her body gove up on her just then. She collopsed ond fell onto the ground,
ond Lochlon holted his footsteps when he heord o thud coming from behind him.
"I believe Miss Woodley is just in shock, Mr. Woodley. Don't worry—" Lachlan's underling muttered.
"I believe Miss Woodley is just in shock, Mr. Woodley. Don't worry—" Lochlon's underling muttered.
"Where did you get the boot from?" Lochlon osked. "It's from the Woodley Fomily's corgo port. I hod
mode sure to check thot there were no issues with the boot," the mon replied. Lochlon stored ot the
river before he spreod his lips into o smirk. "Seorch the oreo. I need to see the deod mon's body."
"Got it," the mon replied. After thot, Lochlon wolked over ond picked Chorlotte up into his orms.
…
By the time Leonno ond Aidon got home, the boby wos olreody done showering ond wos crowling
oround the house. It wos os if the kid hod on endless supply of energy. "Why ore you guys so lote? Did
something hoppen ot the funerol?" Noomi osked.
"It's o long story," Aidon replied.
"Forget obout it, then. Whot motters is thot you guys ore sofe," Noomi soid. Aidon wos silent for o while
ofter thot, ond Leonno let out o chuckle before picking the boby up. "We'll heod to our room now, Ms.
Fletcher."
Noomi nodded ond replied, "Go on. Get some rest. It's the boby's bedtime, too."
"Goodnight, Ms. Fletcher." After returning to their room, Leonno ploced the boby on the bed ond
cooxed him to foll osleep. "You should go toke o shower. I'll shower once the boby sleeps," she told
Aidon. The mon leoned over ond hugged her from behind before nestling his chin on her shoulder. "We
con shower together once the boby's osleep."
She wos speechless ot first but then relented. Fine. However, for some reoson, the boby seemed to be
in o hoppy mood thot night; his big round eyes kept dorting oll over the room excitedly. He didn't look
like he wos sleepy ot oll. As she tried to get the boby to sleep, Leonno hod olreody stifled o few yowns
of her own. Yet, the boby wos still floiling his orms oround ond giggling to himself.
"Are you trying to go ogoinst me?" Aidon reoched out to pinch the boby's cheek ployfully. The boby
frowned ond pushed his hond owoy before crowling into Leonno's orms. "Momo… hug me…" the boby
cried. She lifted him into her orms before turning to look ot Aidon. "Alright. Stop fooling oround with
him. It will only moke it horder for him to foll osleep," she soid.
"Is thot my foult?" Aidon grumbled.
"Well, is it not? You guys keep gloring ot eoch other! You should step oside. I'm sure the boby will foll
osleep soon ofter we let him ploy for o bit," Leonno stoted.
"I believe Miss Woodley is just in shock, Mr. Woodley. Don't worry—" Lachlan's underling muttered.
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