Chapter 346 Give Me Back My Dog!
Hotel lobby.
Charles, flanked by Nolan and a few men in black suits, was aggressively questioning the front desk.
They had reviewed the surveillance footage overnight and discovered that Snowy had been taken by someone in a taxi and brought to this hotel.
Normally, Charles wouldn't handle such matters personally, but since they couldn't find the thief who stole the money, he figured dealing with the dog thief might be a good way to vent his frustration.
The front desk clerk, a young woman, was clearly frightened but adhered to her professional ethics and refused to disclose the room number.
These people looked menacing, and they were accusing that little boy of being a dog thief?
How could that be? Anyone with eyes could see that these men looked more like the bad guys.
"I'm sorry, sir, but our hotel policy prohibits us from disclosing guest information."
Nolan, encountering such resistance for the first time, turned and gestured for the clerk to look at Charles, who was sitting on the sofa.
The clerk glanced over and then said, "Sir, being handsome doesn't change the rules."
Did they think she would break protocol just because he was good-looking? She had a job to do.
Nolan was speechless. "Don't you recognize him? This is Mr. Percy of the Percy Group. Get your manager."
"I don't recognize him, and the manager isn't here. Even if he were, we still couldn't disclose guest information."
The clerk was unyielding. She was just an employee; she didn't care about their status.
Seeing the stalemate, one of the men in black stepped forward, trying to intimidate her.
The clerk frowned and placed a hand near the button under the desk, ready to call the police if things escalated.
Charles, seeing that the conversation was going nowhere, stood up and walked over.
"What's going on?"
"Sorry, Mr. Percy, we might need to communicate a bit more," Nolan said, bowing his head.
At that moment, a young voice piped up, "Hi, I'm here to check out. The room key is right here."
Benjamin, oblivious to the tension, thought the adults were just other hotel guests. He placed the room key on the counter and prepared to leave with Silver.
But everyone's eyes were on him, not moving.
"Mr. Percy, isn't that Snowy?" Nolan whispered.
It was clearly Snowy, but why was the dog with a child? Nolan had imagined the dog thief as a burly middle-aged man, not a kid.
Charles frowned as he watched the child and the dog walking away. Suddenly, he called out, "Snowy."
The dog's ears twitched, but it didn't stop.
Charles gritted his teeth in frustration. 'Stupid dog, what a waste of time raising you.'
"Snowy!"
This time, the dog stopped and reluctantly turned around.
Benjamin, confused by the dog's behavior, said, "Silver, let's go."
"Come here!" Charles commanded.
This time, Snowy didn't hesitate. It broke free from the leash and ran back to Charles, sitting down and wagging its tail, waiting for praise.
"Such a dumb dog, didn't even realize you were stolen!" Charles muttered.
Benjamin, holding the empty leash, looked at the group in front of him, then angrily said, "You bad people! Why are you taking my dog?"
Despite his young voice, it was piercing. Nolan stepped forward and said, "Kid, this dog belongs to our boss. Where did you get it? And you..."
Nolan stopped mid-sentence, recognizing Benjamin.
"Why is it you?"
"Sir, why is it you?" Benjamin echoed, equally surprised.
Benjamin quickly connected the dots, his gaze landing on Charles.
Their eyes met, and both were momentarily stunned.
Benjamin couldn't help but think that, although he didn't want to admit it, he and Charles looked quite similar, especially their mouths and noses, which looked stern when not smiling.
Charles noticed the resemblance too. He stepped forward and asked, "Who are you? What's your name? Where are your parents?"
Benjamin, undaunted, glared back, "None of your business, sir. Give me back my dog!"
Charles found this amusing. Before Nolan could intervene, he said, "What do you mean, your dog? This is my dog. Where did you get it? I've had it for five years. How is it yours?"
He turned and called, "Snowy."
The dog immediately ran over.
Benjamin was shocked. It was true that he had found the dog near the Percy Mansion, but he couldn't imagine the cold-hearted Charles owning a dog for so long.
Nolan, thinking Benjamin was scared, recalled their encounter from the previous day and took the initiative to speak up, "Mr. Percy, let me handle this."
Charles was intimidating enough for adults, let alone a child.
Nolan put on what he thought was a very friendly smile, crouched down, and said, "Kid, this dog isn't yours. Your parents should have told you not to take things that aren't yours. It's not a stray; it has an owner."
Benjamin, unimpressed, said, "Sir, it's definitely not a stray. It's my dog, Silver. Do you think I'll let you take it just because you say so? You're not that important."
Nolan was taken aback by the child's sharp words. He resisted the urge to scold him and stood up, turning to Charles, "Mr. Percy, you handle this."
Since the gentle approach wasn't working, it was time to be more assertive.
"Doesn't matter who handles it. This is my dog!" Benjamin insisted.
Charles looked at the child who resembled him. His stubborn eyes reminded him of Diana.
If that child were still alive, he would be about this age.
Charles said, "Get your parents to talk to me. You stole my dog and are still arguing."
Benjamin, unafraid, replied, "You think I can't talk to you because I'm a kid? That's disrespectful. You're their boss? So what?"
Nolan and the men were stunned. The last person to talk to Charles like that had disappeared.
Surprisingly, Charles wasn't angry. He was intrigued. "Really? You're brave. Fine, I'll treat you with respect. Prove it's your dog. I called its name, and it came to me."
He petted the dog, which enjoyed the attention, unaware of the tension.
Benjamin bit his lip. He knew it was Charles' dog, but he didn't want to give it up.
He was so mean to Diana, couldn't recognize his own son, and still had the nerve to keep a dog?
"Silver! Come here!" Benjamin's expression was resolute, though he felt a bit nervous inside.
As soon as he finished speaking, Snowy darted out from under Charles' hand, moving so fast it was like a white flash.
Snowy affectionately licked Benjamin's face, clearly showing a stronger bond with him than with Charles.
"See? Sir, I told you it's my dog."
Everyone was silent. Even Charles was puzzled why the dog he had raised for five years would listen so obediently to a stranger child.
Was it because he wasn't home often?
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