Alfred’s words sounded like a consolation to Chloe, causing her to shake and turn pale. She left the research institute and returned to the Sullivan manor. Dazed, she looked like a walking dead. "You're home."Chloe looked up and saw Desmond exit the elevator in his wheelchair with the assistance of a helper. After being hospitalized for a few days, Desmond had lost quite a lot of weight. The sight of him made Chloe year up, and she decided not to tell him about her appointment with Alfred. He could not handle another blow.Forcing out a smile, Chloe went up to Desmond and grasped his shoulders, pouting and complaining, "Yeah, sorry I’ve been so busy that I couldn't pick you up from the hospital. I have to drive Gary out of Exotic Star sooner and want to cut short his happy days.”"Don't rush it. This is a long battle. Plus, he isn't that great. All his ideas came from Noah."Desmond believed that his family would regain Exotic Star eventually. He had contacted former board membe
Joseph stood up and stared down at his pants which were now wet with Bethany's tears. He rebuked, "The car's downstairs. Stop wasting my time." His indifferent expression hurt Bethany greatly, making the latter cry even more. 'Joe doesn’t feel sorry for me and is even annoyed by me.'She simply could not understand Chloe's charms. She felt that Chloe was just a pretty face and was confused about how Joe had fallen head over heels for her. Bethany felt that she did not lack in comparison. Seeing Bethany make no move to leave, Joseph strode into the meeting room next door and slammed the door shut, separating himself from her.Bethany stamped her feet angrily and left. At the entrance of Fairlight, she spotted Vince parked outside. He was there to take her away.Suddenly, she got an idea. She pinched her thigh to bring up tears and threw herself into Vince's arms. "I'm heartbroken, Vince. Will you have a drink with me?" *A white car stopped outside of Fairlight. The window was
Joseph let go of the mouse but did not look up.Seeing him fiddle with his phone and ignore her with his head lowered, Chloe fumed with anger. She slammed the desk. "Joseph Whitman!" How dare he ignore her! He was insensible as a log! Joseph was taken aback and looked up. When he saw it was Chloe, his gloominess instantly dissipated and he jumped to his feet. "What are you doing here?" "Am I not welcomed?""No, no. Nothing like that." Joseph was now smiling from ear to ear, a huge contrast to his earlier icy expression. "Why are you here?""I came because I wanted to." Chloe cocked an eyebrow. "If you don’t want me to come, just tell me. I won't come again. You don't have to pretend." "Nonsense! I want to see you all the time. You're more than welcome here." Joseph was elated as this was the first time she had come to him after treating him indifferently for so long.Chloe turned beet red and snorted. "Stop trying to sweet-talk me." "You've misunderstood me." Joseph pulle
Heaving a sigh, Chloe looked out the window. "You don't have to comfort me. Although this isn’t what I want, I can't do anything about it." "Listen." Joseph grasped her shoulders and turned her back toward him. "I know what you're suffering from, and it isn't terminal. Don't be scared." Chloe stared at him in confusion when she realized he was telling the truth. "How do you know? What illness is it then?" She wondered if he had known all along. He had bought her those pills for her headache. But why did he not tell her?"I sought Professor Alfred after I found something wrong with you. Even Mr. Desmond is aware of your illness. We didn't tell you because, as Professor Alfred already said, it might trigger you." "What are you worried about? I'm the one suffering from this illness. I have a right to know the truth!" Chloe roared in agitation. She found it unacceptable that everyone was hiding her own condition from her."You may not trust Professor Alfred, but don't you trust Mr.
Vince and Bethany were gone when Joseph and Chloe left Fairlight. Remembering those two from earlier, Chloe nudged Joseph. "I think someone seduced Vince away."Joseph narrowed his eyes and muttered, "What?"She told him about the scene she had witnessed before she went upstairs. Hearing the story, Joseph's expression fell. He called Vince, but the latter did not pick up.Vince had not driven Bethany straight to the airport. This was the first time he had disobeyed Joseph's order after he started working for him. *Joseph found Vince and Bethany in a dark and noisy bar. There were men and women dancing on the dancing floor, engaged in worldly pleasures."Over there." After a look around, Chloe spotted Vince and Bethany in a corner.Picking up his wine glass, Vince was about to take a sip when suddenly a woman rushed over and smacked the glass out of his hand. Clang!The partygoers did not hear the glass breaking.Vince was infuriated. He looked up at Zoelle in shock as she
Zoelle burst into laughter because she knew very well what had happened. Her bright laughter and beauty captured the hearts of many men, including Vince.Unspeakable feelings rose in Vince while watching Zoelle. Inevitably, he recalled her sitting on his thigh in the locker room, sweating profusely as her long hair cascaded down her shoulders…Even though they were doing such an embarrassing thing, she had taken the lead and guided him to a world he had never been to before.Bethany was irritated by Zoelle's inexplicable laughter. She wanted to take Vince elsewhere to continue with her plan, but he remained unresponsive even after she yanked him twice.Confused, she turned and found Vince staring at Zoelle like the other men in the bar. Although he did not long for Zoelle like the other men, she still panicked. She stared at Zoelle with jealousy and yanked Vince again. This time, Vince responded. He looked at her and asked, "What?" The furious Bethany suppressed her annoyance.
"You are to go back to Imperium and receive 100 lashes. You won't be receiving a bonus this year either," Joseph ordered icily. "Yes, sir." Vince accepted his orders and looked up, asking carefully, "What about Bee—""What does she have anything to do with you?""I just wanted to ask for Bee to be shown mercy as she just recovered and woke up.”Joseph smirked, remaining languid and calm as if nothing serious was about to happen. "I won't punish her."Relieved, Vince uttered gratefully, "Thank you for your generosity, sir." A smug expression crossed Bethany’s face. She flipped her hair and glanced at Chloe, trying to indicate something. Chloe looked back at Bethany indifferently. She was half a head taller than Bethany and came off looking more menacing. Though a little frightened, Bethany straightened her back. So what if Chloe was taller? Men liked docile and petite women. She and Zoelle were just too tall."Oh?" Zoelle stared at Joseph curiously, guessing he had something
Vince did not know what to do. Seeing that Joseph was about to drive away, he said, "Find a hotel to stay at. When I have the time, I'll come to you and we’ll discuss this." He then got into the car.Bethany watched in despair as the car sped off. She dropped to the floor, feeling utterly drained. She cried until she had no more tears left. Staring at the deserted street, Bethany found it hard to believe that Joseph had abandoned her for Chloe. She was filled with anger, and she wanted revenge.Suddenly, someone who hated Chloe to the core came to mind. They could join forces and get rid of Chloe. *Seated inside the car, Zoelle hummed a tune while casting a cheerful gaze at Vince, her spirits notably high.Chloe turned around and extended a hand toward Zoelle. "Gimme your phone."Zoelle raised her eyebrows and asked, "Why?""I know you recorded the scene of Bethany trying to drug Vince." Zoelle's demeanor suggested to her that there must be concrete evidence supporting her c
After Chloe calmed herself, she realized that the place she was in resembled the villa she lived in while overseas five years ago. However, upon closer inspection, the exterior scenery was different. She realized something and froze."Did you build a villa identical to the one I stayed in five years ago?" she asked.Noah was busy bandaging himself. Upon hearing her question, he replied, "Yeah, doesn't it look almost identical?"Chloe's gaze swept over every item in the room, and she admitted that she was touched. She turned back to Noah and looked at him gently as if she had returned to the time when she simply treated him as a little brother."How did you convince Tiffany to cooperate with you?"Tiffany had made her move while Noah distracted Desmond."I just told her about it, and she agreed."Chloe asked, "Do you think you’re treating her fairly?"Noah said flatly, "I’ll compensate her."Compensate? How? Chloe thought that youth was the most precious thing in the world, but
In the Whitman family home, Joseph went to deal with a bunch of urgent company matters after putting Jasper to sleep. By the time he finished, it was already past three in the morning. He contemplated calling Chloe to ask about Noah's situation, but thinking it might disrupt her sleep, he abandoned the idea.When Joseph woke up the next day, it was already half past six. He recalled Chloe mentioning that Exotic Star had a new product launching today and that she would have to wake up early. He reached for his phone on the table, intending to call her.However, his hand slipped and the phone fell to the floor. The loud thud caused his heart to tremble. He stared at the shattered phone screen as he got a bad feeling. He grabbed his spare phone and quickly dialed Chloe's number. After ringing for some time, a cold, mechanical voice informed him that there was no one available to answer at the moment. Without hesitation, he immediately headed to the Sullivan Manor. When Joseph got ther
“Yes, Grandpa, and I hope you won't stop me when the time comes," Noah said. "You're not discussing this with me. You're just informing me!" Desmond said exasperatedly. "I'm sorry, Grandpa.”Desmond hemmed and hawed for a long while, at a loss for words. He seemed to age ten years as he stared into the distance through the window. After a while, he said, "I've already had someone contact doctors abroad regarding your condition, so don't worry. All you have to do now is just focus on recovering. Don't give up so soon."Sensing Desmond's determination, Noah's eyes filled with tears. He too wished to spend a few more years with his grandfather.When they arrived at the Sullivan manor, the foreign doctors had replied. Upon learning that the renowned healer, Z, had treated Noah but only achieved limited success, they decided not to intervene.Noah was not discouraged by this. He comforted Desmond and said, "Grandpa, I would like to go abroad for a few days. It's been a long time sin
Half an hour later, Desmond and Noah walked out of the ward together.Desmond said, "The doctor told you to stay in the hospital for a few more days, so why don't you just listen? If something happens to you again, they can treat you immediately."Noah smiled warmly and said, "It's okay. The medical equipment at home is sufficient."Desmond sighed. It would be good if Noah stayed at home as well. At least there would be more pairs of eyes on him.Desmond instructed the driver to come to the hospital’s basement car park. When he hung up the phone, he looked around the corridor and wondered, "Wasn't Chloe just sitting here? Where is she?"Noah did not say anything and just lowered his head."And where's Tiffany too? Call her. We need to go home," Desmond said as he took his phone out to call Chloe.However, Chloe did not answer his call. Noah did not call Tiffany. Instead, he said, "Her brother had something to discuss with her, so he came by and brought her home. Maybe Chloe ha
Chloe looked at Tiffany and said sarcastically, "Not everyone is willing to contribute their entire life knowing that the other person doesn't like them."Tiffany had a heart problem. She might die at any moment, yet she chose to live around someone who did not love her back. Chloe often marveled at the greatness of love, but she would never possess such a sacrificial spirit.Tiffany laughed coldly. "It’s because I have compassion and you don't. When Xavia died before your eyes, you just coldly stared at her body."Chloe raised her head sharply, glared at Tiffany, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Xavia took my child, stole my man, and wrecked my marriage! She nearly got me killed several times! If she hadn’t died, it might have been me! I should've celebrated her death with fireworks! None of you know what I've been through, so stop pointing fingers at me!"At first, she had felt responsible for Xavia's death, but she had since come to her senses. Xavia's death had nothing to
Desmond was taken aback that he even forgot his cane and almost tripped on the carpet. He quickly got back up and headed for the second floor. The butler immediately called for an ambulance while the other housekeepers guided the panicked guests away.Chloe furrowed her brows, following Desmond into Noah's bedroom. The curtains were drawn tightly, blocking out all light. But just standing at the door, one could detect the strong scent of rust from inside.A helper flipped a switch, and the room was flooded with light. The wooden furniture was neatly arranged while neatly folded clothes sat on the sofa.Chloe looked around but did not see Noah. She then looked toward the bathroom and her face sank.Tiffany pointed to the bathroom and said, "He's in there."Desmond trembled as he pushed open the bathroom door. Inside was a mess, with red stains covering the floor. Noah was in the bathtub, his wet clothes clinging to his body. His arms hung limply over the tub's edge, and his head sl
Chloe did not know how to answer."Say something. You wanted her dead, right? Are you happy now that she is dead?!” Kenneth shouted angrily at her, his eyes bloodshot and his gaze piercing.He was so loud that it drew the attention of many nearby. Callum and Joseph rushed over, and Joseph shielded Chloe behind him. He pushed Kenneth back several steps and said sternly, "Never speak of that woman in front of Chloe again. Otherwise, there'll be consequences!""Hah! Are you protecting a murderer?" Kenneth laughed. "Oh yeah, you’re both responsible for Xavia's death after all."Smack!Callum slapped Kenneth across the face, instantly silencing him. "Get a grip, Ken! Xavia deserved to die. Stop embarrassing yourself in front of Chloe.”Kenneth held his face as he muttered, "Yeah, you're right… Xavia should’ve died. She was evil. She deceived and took advantage of me… She should die..."Then why was he so tormented over her death? He could not sleep or eat. He knew Xavia deserved th
Joseph frowned. "Of course not. Her death has nothing to do with you. Promise me you won’t think such thoughts."The unexpected turn of events caught both Chloe and him off guard. Xavia clearly wanted to haunt Chloe forever by killing herself in front of her. Although he felt shocked, he was not deeply shaken. After all, he had not witnessed Xavia's jump, and Xavia probably thought that the third floor was not enough to kill her. After all, being in the hospital for treatment was better than being detained by the police.Chloe looked at Joseph with vacant eyes and smiled bitterly. "You're right. It’s good that she's finally dead. She got what she deserved, and I should be happy," she said."Exactly. Even if she didn't jump, the police would’ve arrested her," Joseph said gently, "It's my fault for asking you to buy us some time. If she comes back as a ghost to haunt you, I'll stop her."Joseph, Tyson, and a few officers had arrived just moments after Xavia jumped. He had brought a g
Everyone erupted into gasps. As a deafening crash came from below, the staff scattered. Some ran downstairs to try and rescue Iris. Some who had rushed to the windows shouted anxiously, "She's still alive!"Everyone around Chloe was running as her mind was filled with an endless ringing. The whole world became a blur. She never imagined that things would end like this. The meeting hall was on the third floor. It was not too high, but it could be fatal if one were to land on their head. Everyone's accusatory gaze fell on Chloe, and the crowd started to murmur."Damn, how could she do this to Iris? Do you think she’ll be haunted by nightmares tonight?""Yeah, why does she insist that Iris is Xavia?""What if Iris dies? Won’t Ms. Chloe indirectly become a murderer?""Do you think Iris will come for revenge in the middle of the night when she dies?"Something inside Chloe snapped, and she shouted, "It wasn't me! What she did has nothing to do with me!"Her outburst silenced the ro