Florence's expression froze instantly.She quickly forced a bright, blooming smile. "You're funny. It was just a drunken night. Why should you take responsibility? You go on ahead. I want to talk to Joanna for a bit." Without giving him a chance to object, she pulled her shoulder free from his grasp.Joanna's sharp eyes glimmered with awareness. Given her keen mind, she had already sensed that something significant had occurred between them.There was no way she believed Florence's dismissive excuse."Florence, don't be like this. It's my fault..." Alex started to say, but Florence's face darkened immediately. Joanna, noticing the tension, quickly intervened, "Alex, you stayed with Florence all night. Go get some rest. You can talk when she's feeling better."Though reluctant, Alex's heart ached when Florence refused to even glance at him. His voice low with disappointment, he murmured, "Florence, I'll be going for now. I'll come back to check on you...""Mm." Florence turned her head
Florence's expression froze instantly.She quickly forced a bright, blooming smile. "You're funny. It was just a drunken night. Why should you take responsibility? You go on ahead. I want to talk to Joanna for a bit." Without giving him a chance to object, she pulled her shoulder free from his grasp.Joanna's sharp eyes glimmered with awareness. Given her keen mind, she had already sensed that something significant had occurred between them.There was no way she believed Florence's dismissive excuse."Florence, don't be like this. It's my fault..." Alex started to say, but Florence's face darkened immediately. Joanna, noticing the tension, quickly intervened, "Alex, you stayed with Florence all night. Go get some rest. You can talk when she's feeling better."Though reluctant, Alex's heart ached when Florence refused to even glance at him. His voice low with disappointment, he murmured, "Florence, I'll be going for now. I'll come back to check on you...""Mm." Florence turned her head
Lionel's Office"Sir..."Barton handed a file to Lionel. "This is the information you requested. It's all been thoroughly investigated."Lionel took the file and photographs, glancing at them briefly before his expression darkened.Amos?!How could it be Amos?"Damn it!"Who gave him the nerve to do this? Doesn't he know that the Lumina Group depends entirely on K Group?If it weren't for him handing Lumina that order, this new general manager wouldn't have had any achievements to speak of."Withdraw all investments from Lumina immediately! As for the new project, change to another media company.""Yes, Sir."Barton turned to leave."Wait!"Lionel called, stopping Barton just before he reached the door. "I want you to investigate Amos thoroughly!"She shouldn't have had any involvement with him, so how did he get obsessed with her?Suddenly, Lionel remembered an odd encounter at a banq
"Lion...you...know?" Chloe asked weakly.She had planned to tell him last night, but when Joanna knocked on the door to say that Florence had an accident, she completely forgot about it."You still dare to say that?!" Lionel replied, his tone a bit angry. "You hid something this big from your husband? You have some nerve!""At first, I was going to hide it because I was angry," Chloe admitted. "But then I wanted to tell you. It's just that Joanna interrupted me, so I never had the chance." She pouted and leaned her face against his, almost like a child seeking affection."I really want to scold you for being so disobedient..." Lionel raised his hand, but instantly, it gently lowered to caress Chloe's face. He was so careful now, especially since she was pregnant. He couldn't bring himself to hurt her, not even with a finger."Lion, you're going to be a dad. Are you happy?" Chloe lifted her head and studied his face, trying to find some clue about h
"Now, you!" Lionel, who held Chloe in his arms as though she were the most precious treasure, suddenly darkened his expression. Gripping her chin and tilting it upward, his tone became dangerously low as he said through clenched teeth, "If you ever dare hide something from me again, just wait and see what I'll do to you!"Though his voice sounded harsh and his expression fierce, the tenderness and deep affection in his narrow eyes gave him away."Got it!" Chloe grinned mischievously, the warmth spreading in her chest as she looked at his scowling face.She could tell—Lionel truly loved her. He genuinely cared for her and their child.Her heart swelled with gratitude. What had she ever done to deserve such devotion from a man like Lionel? He was noble, almost godlike, and yet wild and untamed.She felt so blessed.Fate hadn't abandoned her after all. It had taken away one worthless man only to deliver someone infinitely better—Lio
"Chloe, let's find a place to talk,"Geoffrey's father suddenly softened his previously stern expression. His face radiated kindness, and the way he called Chloe's name now carried a touch of familial warmth.Chloe blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Oh...okay."His sudden change in demeanor was so abrupt that she struggled to keep up with the shift.Especially the way he looked at her—with a mixture of excitement and tenderness—caused ten question marks to pop up in her mind.They found a nearby café along the street, and Chloe couldn't shake the sensation of Geoffrey's father's constant, scrutinizing gaze on her."Chloe…"Ray took a small sip of his coffee. His intense yet affectionate eyes never wavered from her face.It was as though he was gazing at someone he cherished deeply—like a long-lost daughter."Sir, if you have something to say, just say it directly."Chloe lowered her ga
"Lion..." From a distance, Chloe saw Lionel running towards her, and without hesitation, she threw herself into his arms."Baby, what's wrong?" Lionel was alarmed when he saw Chloe's pale face and the tremors running through her body. He quickly swept her into his arms."Lion, my father is Manfred!" Gripping the sleeve of Lionel's shirt, Chloe's eyes were bloodshot."I know!" Lionel quickly lifted her into the car and held her gently in his arms. "Baby, what's going on?"It was clear that she had been shaken by something."I'm telling you, my dad is Manfred! Manfred!" Chloe wailed, shaking Lionel's arm as tears rolled down her cheeks."I know! I know! Your dad is Manfred! I knew that already!" Lionel spoke softly, his gaze growing deep with understanding.Because of Flora's involvement, Lionel had known about Chloe's family situation for some time. He knew Chloe's biggest concern was her father. It was because of her father that she h
"Flora and Beck are my biological children, while you... you're the child of my sister and Ray. My sister and I were twins..." Donna continued, saying everything that had been buried for so long. At least, this way, Chloe wouldn't suffer as much."Back then, your mother wasn't accepted by Ray's family. Ray married the daughter of a wealthy family. Your mother was pregnant with you, so she had to leave. Later, she died giving birth to you. Your father—no, I should say your uncle—raised you and Flora as twins..."Donna's words kept coming, and Chloe collapsed into Lionel's arms, her eyes dull, her expression frozen.Her mother wasn't her mother, her father wasn't her father!Ha!So, she really was an illegitimate child—a true mistake! Not only that, she was a disaster! She caused her mother's death and even led to the death of the man who had raised her for over twenty years! She was nothing but a burden!Trembling, Chloe ope
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