Chapter 22 We Are Innocent

As my chest cooled, I knew that I must be barely clothed right now, very indecent.

But the instigator didn't care at all and still wanted to bury his head.

I pushed against Charlie's chest with a cold expression. "Are you trying to test me again?"

Those words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing most of the desire in Charlie's eyes. He stared at me for a few seconds, then went back to sleeping on his side. The whole process was quick and indifferent, as if what happened just now was just an illusion.

Quietly, I turned to the side and slept back to back with Charlie, feeling infinite sadness in my heart.

There was a time when I had thought of seducing Charlie, fantasizing about having a child with him and living a simple and happy life.

But now, my wish was for him to get divorced and for us to go our separate ways.

Because I had only slept in the early morning, I slept until noon. When I woke up, I found several messages on my phone.

One was from my mother-in-law, saying they had to go back to Chicago temporarily.

One was from Yolanda, asking if I wanted to take up a music concert performance.

And there was one from an unfamiliar number. I didn't know who it was from, but the content shocked me.

The photo was taken last night when I left the parking lot with Jason. From this angle, we looked like a couple, except that Jason looked injured and a bit pitiful.

I pondered for a minute, searching through all the possibilities in my mind. Was I caught by a paparazzo? Or did those three chubby guys have other accomplices who secretly took the photo?

Although both my father and husband have special identities, I have always been low-key, especially since marrying Charlie. Even Jane and the others couldn't get in touch with me, so how could I attract the attention of paparazzi?

I couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation, so I decided to call the unfamiliar number. However, as soon as I connected, the call was mercilessly hung up.

I had no choice but to send a text message: "May I ask who you are? Can you tell me your name?"

If that photo were to be leaked, even if Jason and I were completely innocent, the curious public would still misunderstand. I just wanted to keep our dating low-key and not make headlines.

Soon, the person replied with three words: "I'm Dylan."

I almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Was he also at the parking lot last night? And did he secretly take a photo of Jason and me?

He had suspected something between Jason and me when we were at the hospital before. Now, he must have misunderstood.

I immediately replied: "The person in the photo is indeed me, but you've definitely misunderstood something. Let's meet. We can have a meal together, and I'll explain the situation."

But then, Dylan remained silent, as if he was just an empty number.

Unable to hold back, I dialed his number again. This time, he answered, "Just send me the time and location for the meal."

He seemed eager, as if he had been waiting for me to invite him to dinner.

"Alright." I hung up the phone, thought for a while, and decided on Cloud Hotel. It was where the misunderstanding occurred, so it seemed appropriate to explain things there.

Dylan replied with a simple "Hmm."

I spent most of the day in a nervous state, and finally, at 7 pm, changed into my clothes and went to Cloud Hotel. I chose the top-notch private room and ordered an extravagant menu of eighteen dishes.

I didn't believe that after eating so much food, he would still remain unconvinced.

"Mrs. Harrison, this is the surveillance video you requested." The hotel manager appeared before me again, respectfully presenting a USB drive containing last night's parking lot surveillance footage.

"Thank you." I took it and smiled faintly.

After a while, Dylan's figure finally appeared. He was wearing a brown shirt, exuding an elegant and cold temperament.

He sat across from me and got straight to the point. "You can start explaining now."

"Take it easy. Let's eat and talk at the same time." I showed a self-proclaimed calm smile.

"What kind of relationship do you have with Jason?" Dylan seemed a bit slow to understand, completely disregarding my pace and asking aggressively.

I replied softly, "We are just friends. I even know his girlfriend!"

Dylan's gaze slightly changed. "He has a girlfriend?"

I nodded, but she won't be his girlfriend for long if you and Charlie continue to pursue her.

Looking at this aloof and restrained person in front of me, memories came rushing back.

Charlie's stunning looks attracted many girls wherever he went, but in the end, he and Dylan became enemies over a dandelion on the roadside. I can't even imagine that happening.

"Look at this!" I saw Dylan lost in thought, so I quickly connected my phone to the flash drive and placed the surveillance video in front of him. Confidently, I said, "This angle shows me entering the parking lot and interacting with Jason. You can hear everything I said. We are innocent!"

Whether we would remain innocent in the future remains uncertain.

From the angle of Dylan's photo, it probably couldn't capture the scene where I confronted the fat guys. It looked more like a picture taken after I had walked a distance with Jason, with nothing but a blurred image.

Dylan took the phone and carefully examined it. I leaned forward, keeping an eye on his changing expression.

When he saw me slapping the three big guys, his eyebrows slightly twitched, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. After finishing, he returned the phone to me and said, "You're quite audacious."

"Well, I can't afford to lose, right? After all, I'm Charlie's wife, and my father has some influence." I forced a smile and swiftly put away my phone.

"Does Charlie know about Jason?" Dylan asked again.

Implicitly, he was afraid that his good friend might be betrayed without knowing it.

I only knew that Charlie and Dylan were childhood friends, the closest ones among their social circle, but since I wasn't familiar with them, I had no idea what made their bond so strong.

Now I understand. Dylan had been worrying about Charlie's marriage, going out of his way to protect it.

But even such a good friend can turn into an enemy over a woman. It's somewhat regretful.

I shook my head. "I don't know, and it's not an important friendship. Whether he knows or not doesn't matter."

Dylan took a sip of water and didn't answer.

I didn't know if he actually believed me or just pretended to. Either way, he didn't speak to me again after that. He sampled two of the eighteen dishes and left.

"What a waste!" I looked at the delicious food that kept coming out, called a waiter to pack them, and carried a few bags of takeout boxes home.

On the way back, an address suddenly popped into my mind. It was the home address filled in Elizabeth's information.

They were locals in New York, living in an area bordering between New York and Chicago. Although it was still considered part of New York, it was much less bustling, and the property prices were quite affordable.

Lauren's family background was better than Jason's. Jason's family lived in a small town in another province.

Today, my in-laws had returned to Chicago, and Charlie must be feeling relieved. He would definitely find ways to get close to Lauren. It would be easy for him to find information about Lauren, and he probably already knew her home address.

Since Lauren didn't have any part-time job these days and it's not yet time for school to start, she should be resting at home for a couple of days.

In a moment of contemplation, I decided to investigate.

I turned the car around and headed to Lauren's neighborhood address.