“Ms. Chloe, you have to believe me. I didn't plagiarize the design. I'm innocent!" Will pleaded, sounding like someone who had his lover taken away.Chloe asked impatiently, "How am I supposed to believe you? What about the evidence that’s posted to the blog?"She had carefully examined the alleged original design draft. Even someone with little knowledge could see the striking resemblance between it and Exotic Star's new product. Of course, she doubted Will. His only saving grace would be how well he defended himself.Will cried, "I don’t know what to say, but I'm innocent. Those sketches don’t belong to that blogger. That’s my draft!"He could not understand how the draft that was supposed to be on his desk at home had mysteriously vanished and ended up in the hands of a stranger.Chloe massaged her temples as her patience wore thin. "If you can't prove your innocence, I will report this to the police. Plagiarism is a severe blow. We'll have to recall the products we’ve already
Will excused himself, hid in a corner, and made the call. A little while later, he said that his friend would be over shortly.It was then Desmond showed up at the office.Chloe looked at him in surprise. "Grandpa? Why are you here?”As she spoke, she subtly signaled to Will not to reveal anything. She did not want Desmond to worry.Will discreetly gave her a thumbs-up.Joseph also took the initiative to approach Desmond and greeted, "Hey, Mr. Desmond."Desmond glanced at Joseph, then at Will. His brows furrowed, then he gestured at them. "Please step outside. I need to talk to Chloe alone."Will obediently agreed and immediately exited the office.A faint cease of worry appeared between Joseph’s brows. He walked to Chloe, held her hand, and whispered, "I'll be right outside."She gave a reassuring squeeze and smiled softly. "Don't worry about me."Chloe had a feeling that Desmond had learned about the plagiarism allegation. She was not concerned about facing blame. After all
Will stamped his feet in frustration as his face turned crimson. "Don’t do that! We're in an office right now, so mind your mouth!""Are we roleplaying an office scene? Cool, I'm in," the man said teasingly, "I don’t mind if there are a few people around, but I suggest not too many. It could make the whole thing more exciting." Chloe was taken aback. She knew Will was gay, but she had no idea he was into this kind of thing. The man in front of her was not his so-called friend. He was Will’s booty call."Shut up!" Will shouted, his face red with embarrassment. “I called you here for something else. The last time you came to my place, did you touch anything in my desk drawers?""No, I was exhausted after our session on the desk. I didn’t have the time to go through your drawers," Red Head said. His expression then became stern. "Are you suspecting me of stealing something?"Will sighed. "No, I just wanted to ask you face to face. If I suspected you, I would’ve called the police alr
Joseph said, "Come on, let’s get out of here. It's almost time to pick Jas up from school." Will looked at the couple who were ignoring him and pouted. 'Come on! Can’t you two show your affection later? We haven't solved the plagiarism issue yet!'*Before they even arrived at Jasper's school, they received news from Imperium. Chloe hurriedly leaned in to look at Joseph's phone. Joseph lowered his head and saw that she looked anxious."Hurry up and open it," she urged, nudging his arm.Joseph unlocked his phone and brought up the message. It contained a voice message and an address."Sir, the target has been in this residential area since leaving Exotic Star. Should we go in and take a look?"The place was very close to the Whitman Group."No need," Joseph replied, intending to go there personally.Knowing what he was thinking, Chloe piped up, "I wanna go too.""Okay, and bring Will.”*When Jasper saw his parents appear at the school gate, he ran toward them and threw h
Will observed the neighborhood and said in confusion, "This doesn't make sense. He doesn't have such a rich friend. The monthly rental fee for houses in this neighborhood is about 4,000 dollars. I've checked his social circles, and I'm probably the wealthiest friend he has." "I'm sure they're not friends. Whoever’s living here should be his trade partner," Chloe said."Trade partner? What are they trading? My design drafts?" Will asked."Of course. What else do you think they're going to trade, you idiot?" Joseph answered coldly.If he did not have to deal with this mess Will had caused, he would be having dinner with Chloe and Jasper right now. "Okay, okay. Let’s just go in," Will said.They found the building and went up to the entrance. Just as they reached the door, they heard an intense argument coming from inside."Chloe said that piece of paper is worth millions, but you only gave me one grand! Do you think I'm a monkey?! Give me the rest of the money today, or I'll exp
"Iris is telling the truth. She’s just my roommate. I was the one who exposed Exotic Star, and I was also the one who bought Will's drafts." The blogger was named Darryl Carter. He looked remorseful and embarrassed as he explained, "I was desperate. My parents got into a car accident and we had no money. I overheard Paxton saying he knew the renowned designer, Will Frost, and had been to his house, so I thought it’d be a good idea to make use of this connection and extort some money from Exotic Star…""Who’s Paxton?" Chloe asked.Will said, "The redhead."Joseph looked at Darryl sternly and asked, "Why did you confess so quickly? Do you realize the consequences you'll have to face?"Darryl smiled bitterly and replied, "I know, but I won't escape either if I don't confess. I'll clarify things on my social media in a moment."After saying that, he took out Will's draft and returned it to them. Chloe felt that something was off. Everything was going too smoothly.Will took the d
Chloe smiled at Iris and said, "Of all the people in the Whitman Group, you happened to run into Joseph when facing danger. It must’ve been fate, so why would I be petty? Besides, you're the victim, right?"Everyone was stunned as they could sense the sarcasm in Chloe’s voice.Will covered his mouth and stopped talking.Joseph was stumped for a moment but he did not comment on the matter. He glanced at his watch and patted Chloe's shoulder. "Let's go."However, Chloe ignored him and kept her gaze fixed on Iris, whose eyes were brimming with tears. Iris looked like the victim while Chloe was the bully. Joseph’s brows furrowed. "Chloe?"She handed Iris a tissue and smiled at her. "If you want to cry, go ahead. Don't hold back."Iris was stunned, but she soon came around to her senses. "Ms. Chloe, are you unhappy because Mr. Joseph helped me?"Chloe sneered. Admitting her unhappiness would make her seem small-minded while denying it would mean she had to swallow her grievances. H
Joseph remained silent for a few seconds. He then sighed and said, "I admit that I helped Iris because she looks like a younger version of my mother, but you were too harsh on her just now."He believed that it was not wrong if Iris stayed on at the Whitman Group. He also found it gratifying that Chloe was jealous that other women were trying to get close to him, but she should have discussed these things with him in private.Chloe stared at Joseph for a long time. Disappointment filled her eyes. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm going back to the office.""I'll take you there.""No thanks." Chloe got out and flagged down a cab. She got in and slammed the door shut, narrowly hitting Joseph who was following closely behind. He stared at her indifferent expression through the car window, a sense of defeat overwhelming him. No matter how much effort he put into getting close to her, she always pushed him away. Even after he had thrown away his dignity and shamelessly tri
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