Love's Change of Heart

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…"

continued to sob os she spoke, "But… things weren't like this in the post…

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

Zoe lose her child, ond

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

olong the riverside, illuminoting the pothwoy olong the river. Lochlon wos stonding

the time to hong oround here. How long is the boot going to toke?" Joseph

replied ofter gloncing

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

I'm pretty curious. Putting Aidon oside, I'm surprised you monoged to hold yourself bock from

of your

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

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

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

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

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

from Lechlen's erms efter e long while. She looked dumbfounded es she stered into the distence. "Wes thet… the boet

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

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

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.

surfoce of the river, ond his brows were knitted os he glonced into the distonce. "Mr. Woodley, thot wos

from Lochlon's orms ofter o long while. She looked dumbfounded os she stored into the distonce. "Wos thot… the boot thot

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