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
Joseph said, "No, I don’t.""What about her employee profile? You should be able to find her picture there."Joseph was reluctant to search for it, but he eventually succumbed to Gabriel's persistence and brought out his phone. As Joseph looked through the employee profiles, Gabriel surveyed the women in the bar, trying to find one that tickled his fancy.Men and women were going at it on the dance floor. Most of them were drunk and simply swayed along with the music. A blonde girl then walked toward their table with a drink in hand. When she saw Joseph, she gasped in astonishment. Among the three men in front of her, the one in the middle was the most distinguished. He possessed rare attractiveness in both appearance and demeanor, and he looked even more captivating than an A-list male celebrity.‘I don’t think I can win him over though.’ She shifted her gaze to Samuel. ‘He’s good-looking too, but I don’t think I can handle him either.’ Lastly, she turned her attention to Gabriel.
But their campus was massive, so it was not odd that their paths seldom crossed.Gabriel nodded. "This is fascinating. I've met a lot of people with the same first and last name, but finding someone with not just the same name, but also from the same university is a one-in-a-million chance. These two should definitely meet each other."Samuel picked up on the main point—same name, same school, and plastic surgery. A sudden realization sobered him up, filling him with a cold sweat. His first instinct was to discuss this with Joseph, but as he looked toward the man, he found that Joseph had fallen asleep.Pausing briefly, Samuel shot Chloe a text.[Your intuition may be correct. There's something off about Iris.]Within five minutes, Chloe texted back.[You're thinking the same?][Let's hold off on telling Joseph. We should compile some evidence first.]*It was barely morning, but Chloe had woken up and was unable to go back to sleep. She stepped into the bathroom and decided t
Their eyes locked, yet they said nothing."Umm, I’m heading out for a bit," Chloe said to the housekeeper. She hesitated, then asked Noah, "How did your hair turn all white? Has the treatment not been going well?"Noah touched his hair and managed a weak smile. "No worries. It’s just part of the process.""Follow the doctor's advice, okay? Where's Tiffany, by the way?"When Noah moved back into the Sullivan manor, Tiffany had come with him, and she was a hit with Desmond. Sweet, obedient, and comfortable in her new life, Tiffany now enjoyed a lifestyle of considerably higher quality compared to when she was with her own family.Chloe had been avoiding Noah and Tiffany, so they rarely crossed paths."Tiffany's visiting her brother," Noah answered, "Headed to the office so early? I saw that you tackled that plagiarism allegation pretty well. I'll swing by later to help with any fallout. It'll be a learning experience for next time. Of course, I hope there won't be a next time.""N
Chloe let out a sigh. "The fate of an unfaithful man.""Don't worry. If you remarry Joe, all his assets will be yours regardless if he cheats or not."Chloe cracked a wry smile. "I'm not entirely clueless about the law. Assets before marriage are considered individual property."Samuel gazed into her eyes. "Ms. Chloe Johnsons, what if I told you Joe has already drawn up a legal document specifying that if something were to happen to him, all his assets would go to you?"Chloe's eyes widened in astonishment. She recalled Joseph discussing this with Desmond, but she was shocked at how quickly he had acted on it. She was somewhat touched.Samuel steered the conversation back. "So, last night, I did some digging into Iris. Guess what I found."Feeling curious and audacious, Chloe ventured, "Is Xavia Iris?"Samuel’s brows went up in disbelief. "Hold on. I'm a lawyer, not a detective. Even the police can't work that quickly.""...Fine, go on.""Last night at the bar, we bumped into
Chloe’s eyes darted between a humble and nervous-looking middle-aged woman and a grim-looking man.The guard picked up on Chloe’s uncertainty. "That woman talking to Mr. Joseph is the head of Finance," he explained.This prompted Chloe to think, ‘Finance? So she’s Iris' superior?' Intrigued, she decided to stick around and listen in on the conversation.Joseph looked sleep-deprived and irritable. As he massaged his forehead, he said impatiently, "I didn’t dismiss her.”The middle-aged woman appeared troubled. "I know it's not my place, but Iris has done good work since she started and has fixed many errors in our reports. She’s considering quitting because she thinks she'll cause problems between you and your wife. She feels her tactlessness has made things worse…"Joseph glared at the finance head, visibly annoyed. "And Iris told you all this?""Oh, no. She sent me her resignation last night. I felt that something was amiss, so I pressed her for details," the woman quickly expla
The second Lucas laid eyes on Chloe, the scolding he had prepared got stuck in his throat. He even started coughing from biting back his words."Cough, cough! Ms. Chloe, to what do I owe the pleasure?"Chloe stared at Lucas. "Why? Am I not welcome here? Is there a naked woman hiding around in the office?"Lucas' face twitched. "Please don’t make such scary accusations, Ms. Chloe. You’re going to give me a heart attack.”Chloe grinned slyly. "Okay. How have things been between you and Em recently?"When Emily's name came up, Lucas' eyes lit up with affection. "I took her to meet my mother last week. We have plans to visit her family this weekend.""You’ve met her parents before, right? Are you prepared?" Chloe asked. She herself was not too impressed by Emily's extremely patriarchal parents.Lucas gave a wry smile. "I have, and yes, I’m prepared. But when two people are in it for the long haul, family visits are just part of the deal.""Good. Em’s a great person, but you should
After their lips parted, Chloe's cheeks had the hue of a ripe peach, and it was irresistibly inviting. Joseph looked down at her with smoldering eyes as his warm breath brushed against her neck, deepening the intimacy."What are you—"Her sentence was cut short by an unexpected knock on the office door.Joseph's brow creased. "Who's there?""It's me, Mr. Joseph. Are you busy?"Chloe's eyes instantly narrowed. She grabbed Joseph's shirt sleeve and whispered, "It's Iris!"Joseph lifted an eyebrow. "I won't let her in.""No, let her. I want to see what tricks she's up to."As she said this, she scanned the room and spotted the bathroom. She darted inside and left the door slightly ajar. "Let her in."If Chloe were absent, Iris would surely take the chance to act. But with her there, the dynamics would change.Sighing inwardly, Joseph decided to humor her and called out, "Come in."Iris entered and surveyed the room. Finding only Joseph inside, she lowered her eyes before liftin
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