Finally, satisfied, Lionel broke into a relaxed smile. He gently tapped Chloe's nose, his voice low and seductive, "Chloe, you're so captivating!"Her face flushed with heat, and Chloe instinctively avoided his burning gaze.Was he... flirting with her? The almighty Lionel could actually be this gentle?A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Whether it was truly flirting or not, she decided it was, and despite once loathing Lionel's sweet talk, she couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by it now.With a swift motion, Lionel scooped Chloe up in his arms and carried her into the bathroom."What... what are you doing?" Chloe's voice trembled. Could it be that he wanted to shower with her so early in the morning?The thought alone made her feel mortified, even though he had already seen every inch of her before. Her embarrassment now seemed somewhat exaggerated, but still, she couldn't bring herself to be fully open with him."What do you think?" Lionel's lips curled into a misc
It was past nine o'clock when Lionel, with Chloe in his arms, came down the stairs, a relaxed smile on his face.Their appearance caught everyone's attention, like a beautiful painting coming to life.However, Chloe's neck, now marked with fresh hickeys, didn't escape notice either. Given how late they had gotten up, it wasn't hard to imagine what they had been doing all night...In the dining room, the two of them ate breakfast together. Lionel couldn't stop staring at Chloe's neck, clearly pleased with his handiwork.Chloe noticed his gaze and caught the looks of the others. It seemed he was enjoying the fact that she was embarrassed.What a jerk, making her feel so ashamed!Fuming inside, she bit down on her egg, imagining it was Lionel's face, wishing she could bite it hard enough to draw blood.Lionel sipped his milk, watching Chloe's silly actions, and couldn't help but grin.Just then, he noticed a figure move outside, and he shouted, "Florence!"Florence, who had been trying t
With nothing else to do, Chloe returned to work at the art center. She had barely settled into her seat when Florence waved at her from outside the door.Sighing, Chloe had no choice but to walk out of the piano room."What brings you here?" she asked. Florence was usually elusive, rarely showing up, so it was strange to see her here today.Florence seemed a bit awkward, fidgeting with her clothes, as if she was hesitating to speak. After a while, she stamped her foot in frustration, looked up at Chloe, and said, "I... I just wanted to thank you for speaking up for me that day."Chloe blinked in surprise.Florence, the spoiled and proud girl who never bothered to thank anyone, was actually expressing gratitude.Her cheeks turned slightly pink, and her eyes flickered nervously as she avoided Chloe's gaze. Before Chloe could respond, Florence stamped her foot again and ran off."Ha!" Chloe couldn't help but smile. Florence had come all the way here just to say thank you? That was a rare
Flora had warned her before that she needed to get her mother out of the way.But Chloe had a thorn in her heart, and she avoided confronting the issue. She was her mother, after all, but she had disappointed her so much.No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't understand it. They were both daughters of the same mother, yet one was cherished, while the other was pushed into a pit of misery.If her mother cared for Flora so much, then she should let Flora take care of her. Chloe had no intention of following her father's last wish anymore.However, when she saw her mother in such a thin coat, her once-pale, rosy face now yellowed, her eyes dull and lifeless, and her cracked, dry lips, her heart trembled.In the end, she realized she still wasn't heartless enough.Donna, completely startled by Chloe's sudden appearance, quickly bent down to grab her bucket, trying to leave in a hurry."Mom..." Chloe called again, grabbing Donna, who was trying to escape."I... I..." Donna's face flus
In the evening, Chloe swung gently on the swing, waiting for Lionel's return. She had once thought she was merely enjoying the breeze, but now she realized that, deep down, she had been waiting for him to come back.When the Maybach finally drove into the courtyard, she stood up from the swing and walked toward it.Another man followed closely behind Lionel.Before Lionel had a chance to introduce him, Alex stepped forward, beaming with a sunny smile as he extended his hand to Chloe. "Hello! I'm Alex, your husband's friend.""Oh, hello..." Chloe's face flushed at the mention of the word "husband." She nervously glanced at Lionel before extending her hand to shake Alex's, but Lionel immediately swatted Alex's hand away."What do you mean by that, Lion?" Alex's smile faded, and his tone turned displeased, though his sharp eyes still glimmered with excitement as they looked at Lionel."Your hands are dirty!" Lionel said flatly.Alex wasn't offended. He simply shoved his hands into his po
Alex shot a frustrated glare at Lionel and quickly jumped to his feet, running off."Lion, didn't you say she wasn't here? Are you lying to me?!" Alex circled the dining table, accusing Lionel of being a manipulative wolf who would trap his own brother without a second thought.He couldn't believe that just moments ago, he had felt guilty for him."Alex, if you keep running, I swear I'll be really mad!" Florence stomped her foot, unable to catch him.Her face twisted in annoyance, and her princess-like stubbornness came through. "I command you to stop!"Would Alex stop?He shivered, his footsteps faster than before, slippery as an eel trying to escape.Chloe couldn't help but giggle, nearly choking on her food. Lionel calmly reached over and patted her back, as if this kind of game was something the two of them had been playing since childhood. He was unfazed.Alex accused him of setting him up, and Lionel didn't even bat an eyelash. He was basically admitting it without saying a word
For the first time, Chloe had expressed her feelings so openly, and now she was embarrassed. She quickly hung up the phone, unable to imagine how Lionel might react.Did he often hear other women speak to him so sweetly? Deep down, she didn't want to be lumped together with them.Barely two seconds later, Chloe's phone rang again.Seeing "Husband" flash on the screen, her heart skipped a beat, and she froze. She hesitated to answer, afraid of hearing Lionel's teasing laughter.Her hands trembled as the phone rang insistently. She couldn't bring herself to pick it up and waited until the phone finally went silent. Only then did she let out a sigh of relief.On the other end, Lionel couldn't suppress the wild beating of his heart after hearing Chloe's soft, hesitant words: "I just... missed you..."It was the most heartfelt thing she had ever said to him since they had met.For a moment, he thought he might have imagined it. But the abrupt dial tone confirmed otherwise. He knew how shy
"Ah, Flora!" Chloe's eldest aunt, Sandy, was so overwhelmed she could barely form coherent words, her eyes misting with tears."Flora, you've come back? Seeing you living well puts my mind at ease," chimed in Ruby, Chloe's father's second sister, dragging her husband, Myron, forward as if to hold Chloe's hand."Flora, you're so beautiful," Ruby's daughter, Sabina, gushed, lifting the hem of her dress as though offering reverence."Flora, I missed you so much..." Sandy's daughter, Roberta, clutched Chloe's hand tightly, though her gaze drifted to Lionel standing nearby.A flurry of greetings surged towards Chloe, voices overlapping, each relative vying for her attention. Hands waved, tones grew louder, and faces wore exaggerated expressions of concern, as if fearing Chloe might not hear or notice their supposed care.How ridiculous.Chloe's lips curved into a faint, mocking smile. She wasn't naïve enough to be blinded by this sudden wave of familial affection.Her eyes, cold and pierci
Slap!A sharp, crisp sound echoed as Joanna's face was harshly turned to the side, blood beginning to seep from her lips.Samuel shook with anger. After such a scandal, how could he face everyone here?"From now on, I sever all ties with her!" Samuel spat out, his voice filled with fury. He staggered back, nearly collapsing, but his subordinates rushed forward to steady him.Chloe stood frozen, stunned by the scene, when suddenly someone pulled her from behind, dragging her into a nearby makeshift lounge."Hahaha..." Joanna's laughter suddenly broke out, manic and unhinged.Her laugh was chilling, and the little boy next to her shrank back in fear. "Mommy, what's happening?""Shut up! Get away, bastard!" Joanna screamed, causing the boy to burst into loud sobs."Joanna... you've gone too far!" The blonde man hurried over, his face cold as he scooped the child into his arms and left the venue."Haha..." Joanna continued to laugh, swaying back and forth. She looked at Lionel, his cold,
"I'll cry if I want to. What's the matter? You can't stand it? If you don't like it, I'll go back to my mom's!" Chloe threatened, her hands on her hips, showing her teeth.Lionel raised an eyebrow. In the whole world, there was only one person who dared to threaten him—her! He quickly pulled Chloe into his arms, coaxing, "Alright, you can do whatever you want, I'll follow your lead. But please, don't make me worry so much. And from now on, you're not leaving my sight for a single second."What a joke—if she left, what would he do at night? He'd already gotten used to having her by his side. He couldn't function without her.A wave of worry washed over him. She now had her real father. Today, she was using her mom to threaten him—would she use her dad to threaten him tomorrow? What about her brother the day after?No! No! Anyone, but not her brother! Thinking of how Geoffrey once doted on her, Lionel's face darkened. From now on, he couldn't let Geoffrey anywhere near her—even if he we
Lionel watched as the people quickly fled, his narrow eyes darkening. He turned to Barton beside him and said, "Take care of this."With that, his tall figure swiftly moved towards the restroom.For some reason, he had felt uneasy all day.When he heard "someone's been killed," his heart was pierced with a sharp sting. The unease inside him deepened; he needed to see it for himself.As someone's face turned ashen, they quietly slipped out of the venue while Barton was busy calming the crowd."Lion..."Chloe's voice broke the silence, and Lionel froze. He looked up to see the familiar face, and her voice, thick with emotion, caused tears to well up in her eyes, which then fell, trembling.She had been so strong just moments ago, but the moment she saw Lionel, her heart felt fragile, as if it could shatter with a single breath.Seeing Chloe like this, Lionel was horrified. Blood was everywhere on her lips, and it sent a sharp pain through his chest. Without a second thought, he rushed t
Eamonn had been salivating over Chloe for a long time.To get to her, he had even used his proximity to Cynthia as a stepping stone, but little did he know, Lionel had beaten him to the punch.Even though Eamonn had the desire, he lacked the courage to act on it. He harbored those thoughts but never dared to lay a hand on Chloe.But when he was assigned a task—to torment Chloe, with the promise of a bright future and wealth beyond measure—he found himself going all in.As a man, there are always those few moments of madness in life. This was his chance. If he completed his task, not only would he rise in rank, but he would also fulfill his deepest desires."Monster!" Chloe broke free from one of his hands and slapped him across the face.Eamonn's face instantly bore five red marks from her fingers.He sneered, his voice cold and menacing. "Bitch! Still playing the innocent virgin? I'll make sure you regret this today."The devilish tone in his voice, combined with the devilish look on
"Chloe... long time no see." Eamonn shamelessly stood only a few steps away from Chloe, his body inching closer with each passing moment.Ever since Cynthia's accident, he had disappeared without a trace, and Chloe couldn't understand why he'd suddenly reappeared now."What are you doing here?" Chloe's voice was icy, and she showed no sign of warmth towards him.The mere sight of him reminded her of poor Cynthia, and the anger within her grew even stronger. Seeing him advance with that sinister glint in his eyes set off alarm bells in her mind."Stop!" Chloe took a large step back, not caring that her dress was still wet. She hurriedly wrapped a coat around herself.Eamonn ignored her words, his face still twisted with a smirk, taking a few more steps forward."Chloe, don't be like this. I'm not a virus. Why are you so afraid of me getting closer? It's been so long, and I have so much to say to you."He raised his hand, trying to grab Chloe's.Chloe swung her arm out to the side, evad
In the morning, Chloe and Lionel walked downstairs to find Joanna already seated at the dining table."Good morning, Lion, Chloe," Joanna greeted them with a graceful smile, delicately sipping her milk.Her gaze involuntarily shifted to Chloe's neck, and as expected, the marks from last night's kiss were still clearly visible.The sounds she overheard at the door yesterday flashed through Joanna's mind. Bitch! she cursed silently.Lionel ignored Joanna's greeting, and Chloe merely snorted in response. They both sat down to breakfast. As usual, Lionel fussed over Chloe, fetching this and that for her, while Joanna seemed to vanish into thin air, like a mere background figure.Since Lionel had ordered Lumina to be blacklisted, all those who once courted favor with K Group had severed ties with the company, leaving Lumina on the brink of collapse.While Lionel was listening to Barton's report, his phone rang.It was his father. Immediately, Lionel's face darkened."What is it?" he asked,
"Joanna, you're drunk! Calm down." Heather's voice was low and firm as he grabbed Joanna's wrist without hesitation, stopping her just as she lunged at him.Was she really drunk? Or just pretending?Heather's sharp tone, coupled with the pain shooting through her wrist, made Joanna freeze. Her dewy eyes instantly filled with tears."You yelled at me? You never raise your voice at me. You never refuse me. What's wrong with you? Don't tell me… your love for me was a lie?"Her lips trembled, and—plop—a single tear slid down her cheek. Joanna's delicate face was full of grievance as she accused Heather of turning against her.She really had gone mad.He had loved her. He had sincerely begged her to stop chasing after Lionel and to stay with him instead. He had been willing to take responsibility for their one-time mistake, promising to make her happy.But she had refused to even look at him, discarding him like a worthless rag.And now, after failing to win another man's love, after feelin
Joanna burned with jealousy, seething with anger as she stormed in. She grabbed Chloe off the bed and dragged her out, ready to feed her to the wolves.Bitch!Normally, Joanna could let things slide, but not now. What the hell was this? She'd just had a miscarriage a week ago, barely gotten back home, and now she was back in bed with a man?!Joanna cursed Chloe fiercely in her mind, but then, oddly, a sense of satisfaction crept in. She knew that a woman who had just miscarried shouldn't be anywhere near a man in bed. That was basic knowledge. But the fact that Lionel didn't care about Chloe's condition, that he was dragging her into bed as soon as he got home—well, that only proved one thing: he saw her as nothing more than a tool.If he truly loved her, he would have been more considerate!This meant that in Lionel's eyes, Chloe was nothing special either!Ha! What was there to be angry about now?Let them have their fun, let them wreck her completely, turn her into trash.Joanna fe
Chloe lost her child, and Joanna couldn't contain her delight. She hummed a cheerful tune, suddenly finding everyone pleasant to look at and treating everyone with uncharacteristic warmth and kindness.Mandy, on the other hand, was seething with resentment, while Grace spent her days on edge, terrified of Lionel's return and the punishment that might await her.A week passed, and Chloe finally returned from the hospital.Joanna, who had been all smiles for days, found her grin vanishing the moment she laid eyes on Chloe.In her mind, Chloe had tried to use the child in her womb to secure her place, and now that she had lost the baby, her bargaining chip was gone. Even if she didn't take her own life, she should at least be devastated—frail, despondent, a step away from death.Yet, after a week, Chloe looked radiant, her complexion even more glowing than before!There was no sign of grief over losing her child—she was laughing and