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
Joseph's eyes darkened with a hint of sadness, and his voice took on a gravelly tone. "She mostly stayed home and only had a few friends. As for photos, those are rare. She didn't enjoy being in front of a camera. We only have a few pictures of her at home."His mother mostly kept to herself and had only a few whom she called friends. She had been somewhat of an introvert. Unlike the socialite wives often seen arm-in-arm with their husbands, his mom had an independent mindset. She had established her own brand and was extraordinarily unconventional for her time, which was what had fascinated Cyrus so much.Realizing that Joseph had missed her point, Chloe explained, "What I mean is has Xavia ever seen old photos of your mother."After pondering for a moment, Joseph answered, "No, she hasn't.""Hmm…" Chloe frowned. "That doesn't make sense...""You're suggesting that Xavia altered her face to resemble my mother, aren't you?""Yeah.""How could she have imitated my mother's appear
Chloe gave a little hmph. "Fine, I'll be generous and let this one slide. Now, let's think about how to check on Iris' mole. Maybe you can seduce her."Joseph grinned as his gaze softened. "Won’t you be jealous?""Of course, I will be. But sometimes you have to risk the pawn to win the game," Chloe whispered playfully. She curled her finger and beckoned him closer. "Listen up. I have a plan."Reluctantly, Joseph leaned. The lingering scent of Chloe's bath filled the air as he moved closer. He watched her lips as she laid out her thoughts, and her fragrance chased away his headache. He enjoyed hearing her speak. She loved having her by his side.*Lucas had taken the next few days off for personal reasons starting this afternoon. Before heading out, he sent a message in the Whitman Group managerial chat.Lucas: [Mr. Joseph has a business trip tomorrow and needs two people from Finance to go with him. Please sort this out, @Finance Manager.]Finance Manager: [Two people? Can the t
Outside, a storm was gathering. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, signaling today would be anything but calm. At Docwood City's premier elite academy, the rain prohibited outdoor activities, so the students spent their break time in their classrooms.Jasper had grown taller. His eyebrows had become more prominent and the innocence that once filled his eyes had faded a little. Sitting in the second row with a thick book in hand, he radiated an aura that differed from his classmates. He looked composed—like a mature young man. It was only when he was near Chloe would he become a carefree kid."Jas, did your parents really make up?" Timmy asked.Jasper put down his book, and his face lit up. "Absolutely. We even went on a family vacation.""But I heard...that your dad may be seeing someone else..."Jasper's face turned to ice. "Stop spreading lies. My parents are very happy together."Taking a bite of his chocolate cake, Timmy said cautiously, "I'm not lying. I heard it. I'm te
Two hours later, Chloe arrived at Jasper’s school. She got out of the car and hurried to the teachers' building. Upon seeing Jasper next to a little girl who was sobbing uncontrollably, her eyes puffy and discolored, Chloe quickly scanned Jasper and let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thankfully, he appeared unharmed."What's going on here, miss?"Caught off guard, the teacher turned around and asked, "Ms. Chloe? Where's Mr. Joseph?""He's away on a business trip. You can talk to me about any issues."Suddenly, the little girl's sobs escalated into near shrieks. "See, Teacher?! I told you! Jasper's dad is away on a business trip with a woman from his workplace. He’s abandoning Jasper!"‘So that's what happened...’ thought Chloe, her expression changing as she immediately understood the situation. She looked at Jasper and noticed his deepening gaze. The boy was really beginning to resemble his father.The teacher had an awkward expression. "Children say such nonsense. It was Maya's fa