Chapter 133 So, You're Not Going to Help Me
Seeing Charles staring at him made Kevin's scalp tingle, and he felt compelled to come clean to Daphne.
After Charles had used his grandfather's phone to call Daphne, prompting her to unblock him, Charles had been waiting.
But even after work ended, he still did not receive a response. Coincidentally, Mark managed to dig up Kevin's identity.
Recalling the moment he found Kevin's info, it dawned on him why he seemed familiar; he had seen him before, both at a meal in Gedser and in Lydia's hospital room. Considering how Daphne had entrusted her house and car to Kevin's care, Mark surmised they were close.
To gain leverage over Daphne, he invited Kevin to the Lancelot Group for a business talk, claiming an interest in collaborating on a project with his father.
Kevin went to the meeting.
Then, Charles offered him a chance to try out an immersive holographic device, and Kevin, defenseless and intrigued, readily agreed and went as far as to sign off on it.
Next thing he knew, Charles had him locked into that high-tech chair.
Listening to Kevin's recollection of events, Daphne asked, after he finished, "What does this have to do with saving a life or kidnapping?"
After all, there was no need for all the drama even if he was locked in a chair. Charles surely wouldn't let him starve to death.
"I need to use the restroom., and he wouldn't let me go," Kevin said, now genuinely anxious, "Please, Daphne, be a good sport and just unblock him. Once I'm done with my emergency, you can block him again."
Daphne was at a loss for words.
Charles remained silent, observing the situation.
"I'm hitting the sack," Daphne said, no longer interested in their games.
"Come on, Daphne!" Kevin's voice rose in panic. "Saving a life is the ultimate good deed! Plus, think of my chiseled features, come on, save me, just this once!"
Charles gave him a skeptical look. 'Handsome? Had Daphne lost her taste?'
"Goodbye," Daphne delivered her parting words. "And if you do kick the bucket in that Lancelot Group chair, I'll make sure they face legal action... and I'll visit your grave."
Kevin was on the verge of tears. He whimpered aloud.
Daphne was supposed to be dependable if he was in a pinch.
"Daphne—beep, beep, beep."
Before he could finish, Daphne had decisively ended the call, switched her phone to silent, grabbed the comforter, and drifted off to sleep.
On the hand, strapped in a chair in the brightly lit showroom, Kevin said, "I told you it was useless; nobody can change Daphne's mind, and threats are even more useless."
"Tell her to take me off the blacklist, and I'll throw your company a project," Charles nonchalantly tossed his phone onto his lap, his lips barely parting.
Muttering to himself, Kevin said, "It's not like I plan on taking over the family business."
Charles pondered for a moment. "What do you want?" Charles was more direct this time.
"Nothing," Kevin admitted after a pause, delivering a zinger that hit Charles hard. "Whatever you can give me, Daphne can too. Pissing off Daphne... you might help me. But if I piss her off, no one will help me."
Charles picked up his phone again, caressing it thoughtfully: "So you're telling me, you're not going to help?"
"It's not that I won't, I can't," Kevin replied earnestly.
He was no fool; Daphne was a gem, undeserving of this treatment.
Any sensible person wouldn't dream of helping a jerk who deceives Daphne!
'Hmph!'
"Well, then I guess I'll have to use your phone to message her," Charles's thin lips parted, his voice deep. "I'm sure someone in that 'Seven Siblings' group chat can help me out."
Kevin's eyes widened in shock. 'How did he know about the Seven Siblings group?!'
"I know Daphne's in it too," Charles said deliberately.
Kevin retorted, "You think you can solve it knowing she's there?" But he knew the situation wasn't as simple as he wanted to believe.
Charles sat down on the adjacent chair, "Just because she's in it doesn't mean she's always checking messages."
During the two years Daphne had been with him, she hadn't spent much time on her phone.
On the contrary, most of her time was spent with her nose in a book—a hodgepodge of genres, devouring almost everything she could get her hands on. Even after her divorce, her screen time on her cell phone didn't increase.
Kevin gulped, suddenly feeling a bit cowardly.
The thought alone was unsettling—that if Charles did use Kevin's phone to send messages in the group chats, he'd be the laughingstock for sure. A hacker, unable to secure even his phone.
"Mark," Charles dictated, as he passed the phone to Mark who hadn't left work yet, "crack the password and mimic Kevin's usual tone when he chats. Then post a few messages in the group."
"Which messages?" Mark glanced helplessly at Kevin.
Charles whipped out his phone, tapped away, and dispatched several drafted texts to him.
[You guys have no idea what I went through just now. I was kidnapped by Daphne's ex-husband!]
["Luckily, I was clever enough to slip away.]
[He was so foolish, trying to get Daphne to unblock his number and WhatsApp in such a dumb way.]
After sending them, he looked at Mark. "Once someone replies in the group, add, 'That said, if Daphne ever blocks me, how would I get her to unblock me?'" instructed Charles, completely calm.
Kevin's eyes widened in a mix of shock and recognition. The messages... Charles had captured his tone impressively well.
"Got it." Mark promptly got to work.
"Hold up!" Kevin interjected, panic inching into his voice, "Let's talk this out, no need to impersonate anyone or send weird messages."
Even though Charles orchestrated it, once Kevin got his phone back, the group wouldn't care for the details. He dreaded the relentless mockery that awaited him.
"It's just about getting Daphne to unblock you, right? Piece of cake," Kevin bluffed bravely, teetering on the verge of tears.
Charles studied him, his gaze practically spelling out 'spill it'.
Kevin, feeling the constraints of the chair, ventured, "Can you let me go first? I need to hit the restroom."
A look from Charles and Mark was on it, releasing him.
To prevent a possible escape, Charles had Mark shadow Kevin in the bathroom. When Kevin noticed Mark following him in and never taking his eyes off him, he took a deep breath and said, "Buddy, can you turn around? It's pretty awkward with you watching."
"If I don't keep an eye on you and you run off, there goes my annual bonus," Mark replied, adjusting his glasses with a matter-of-fact tone.
Kevin sighed inwardly. It was worth a shot. 'People who prioritize salary and bonuses just can't be swayed.'
Five minutes later, Mark brought him back to the CEO's office.
Charles had also made his way over from the Experience Room, still holding Kevin's phone in his hand.
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