Love's Change of Heart

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, Charlotte.You'll be able to go home safely as long as they let me go,"

Joseph whispered in a hushed voice.She continued to sob as she spoke, "But...things weren't like this in the past...Why don't you come home? Grandpa Philip and Dad won't blame you for anything.You should snap out of this."

Joseph wasn't in his best state then, but the smile on his face was still gentle and soft.

"You're still young, Charlotte.Perhaps one day, when you grow up, you'll realize I never had a place in the Woodley Family.I'm sure there are times when even you resented me, right?" he asked.

"Well, that's because you made Zoe lose her child, and that was why I "

Exactly.What's done is done, and we can’t change the past.I know what I'm doing isn't exactly right, but the Woodleys are the ones who forced me to be where I am now.Of course, I’d prefer to lead a safe and simple life, but did anyone give me a chance to do that? Did that Grandpa Philip of yours give me that chance? Did your father give me that chance? And the woman you mentioned just now...Do you think she'd ever forgive me?" he asked.

Charlotte parted her lips to say something, but not a word came out in the end.

As the skies turned dark, lamps began to light up along the riverside, illuminating the pathway along the river.

Lachlan was standing a distance away from them.He had one hand stuck in his pocket, wearing a blank, emotionless look on his face.

"I don't have the time to hang around here.How long is the boat going to take?"

Joseph shouted to the other man.

"Two minutes," Lachlan replied after glancing at his watch.

"I can't believe you've joined forces with them.I'm honored,"

Joseph uttered with a mocking smile.

Lachlan gazed at Joseph with the same stoic look on his face.

"You shouldn't get too cocky just yet.Both you and I know who supported you in returning to Jamesdon to cause this entire scene."

"Yeah.So? Honestly speaking, I'm pretty curious.Putting Aidan aside, I'm surprised you managed to hold yourself back from doing anything to that person.Are you seriously trying to make up for Old Mr.Woodley's mistakes?" Joseph asked.

your business." Joseph let out a hearty

might have died, but the forces supporting them are still around, and it'd take you forever to get rid of every single one of them.You don't want to go too far with them because you're afraid they might work with people from Highside.If that

tugged his thin lips into

face fell

like you had already expected those elders to

was then that he also

had been so easy for

managed to get rid of all those people in just two days right after sneaking back to Jamesdon.I finally see

assumed that he could frame

who had been using

boat arrived and was stopped by

off the boat and walked

her go," Lachlan ordered while staring

to Charlotte and whispering something

her away before hurrying off and leaping into the

stumbled a few steps forward before she

had a chance to steady herself when she heard a loud pow coming froma

Charlotte was in shock and couldn't help but cling

against her back and

the surface of the river, and

"Mr.Woodley, that was Jo—"

to speak, but the man quickly clamped

a long while.She

that Uncle

"Yes," Lachlan muttered flatly.

him.Her teary eyes were filled

kill him?"

think so," Lachlan responded as

blurry for a moment, and her body gave up on her just then.She collapsed and fell onto the ground, and Lachlan halted his footsteps when he heard a thud

Miss Woodley is just in shock,

Lachlan's underling muttered.

you get the

Woodley Family's cargo port.I had made sure to check that there were

at the river before he spread

the area.I need to

the man

over and picked Charlotte up into

done showering and was