Chloe fell silent, reflecting upon the support Icarus had provided her thus far.She made up her mind to inform him about Ava's deceitful actions.As Icarus heard the details, fury ignited within him."My nephew’s a fool!" Icarus exclaimed, his anger evident.Chloe shrugged and replied, "Feel free to tell him that yourself. If I were to tell him, he might see it as me defaming Ava."This is why she had been hesitant to confront Jake, as her efforts had gone unappreciated, and furthermore, leaving her entangled in a messy situation."Thank you, Chloe. Jake will surely regret his actions," Icarus expressed his gratitude."It doesn't matter to me whether he regrets it or not," Chloe replied nonchalantly.Icarus observed her indifferent demeanor with great joy. Despite the circumstances, she no longer held any feelings for Jake. However, he believed that confessing at this point would be considered too hasty.During a restroom break, Icarus discreetly handed a tip to the waiter an
Icarus was puzzled. "What's the matter?"Just as Chloe was about to shake off Joseph's hand, he swiftly released it, leaving her feeling perplexed."It's nothing. I should get going." Joseph casually straightened his tie, acting as if nothing had occurred. His cool, phoenix-like eyes shifted toward Icarus. "Lucas, why don't you have a chat with Mr. Icarus?"Lucas' reluctance was clearly visible on his face. His mind was focused on Mr. Joseph, while Mr. Joseph only had eyes for Ms. Chloe. Well, it was just a mistake, after all.Deep inside, Icarus remained silent, unable to find the right words.‘There's really no need. Please just leave quickly.’As soon as Chloe and Joseph departed, the cafe's waiter returned with the flowers.Lucas stared at the blossoms, his gaze frozen. He cautiously inquired, "Mr. Icarus, were you planning to confess to Ms. Chloe?"Icarus faintly smiled, neither confirming nor denying it, keeping his response ambiguous.*Chloe stepped into the elevator
"I’m going home!""Ah, what a coincidence. Shall we?"Chloe took a deep breath, mustering a smile as she said, "Joseph, are you trying to prevent me from leaving because you desire my body?""Hah, can't I use the same excuse on you? After all, you didn't resist, and it seemed like you were enjoying it," Joseph retorted.Chloe was momentarily speechless, taken aback by his quick-witted response. Feeling a mixture of embarrassment and frustration, she found him shamelessly clever. She grinned and countered, "Yes. After all, you were the one who took the initiative this time."Upon hearing her words, a fleeting expression of unease crossed Joseph's usually composed and handsome face, and he let out a light snort. "As you wish."In this verbal skirmish, neither of them emerged as the clear victor.Chloe shot him a fierce glare before retreating to the office restroom to compose herself. In front of the mirror, her face bloomed like a peach blossom, her eyes shimmering with moisture.
”I never said that.""But that's what you think."Ava scoffed. "Fine. If you're going to see me in a negative light, then we have nothing more to discuss. Just go, please."With those words, the Johnsons' housekeeper swiftly appeared and escorted Jake out of the villa. Everything unfolded in a whirlwind, and Jake realized his father had called, pressuring him to finalize the investment funds."Dad, I've encountered an unexpected situation here. Give me a few more days. I'll settle everything by then.""You can't even seize an opportunity when it's right in front of you. How about I give you one year to handle it? Would that be enough? Don't bother coming to the office tomorrow."Jake's breath caught in his throat, his hand trembled, and his phone slipped from his grasp, crashing to the ground. It felt as though the world was crumbling around him.*Not long after, Ava unleashed a bombshell on the Internet.She published a lengthy thread discussing three matters.The first was
"Why should I be afraid?""She'll likely confront you.""Aren’t you going to help me?"Joseph remained indifferent. Closing his eyes to rest, he disregarded her plea for help. It was clear he had no intention of intervening.Chloe stared at that handsome and valiant face of his and rolled her eyes in exasperation.‘Come on, even if she’s so great, she can't match the multitude of formidable young women out there. If it was only Jane, that would be manageable, but with her allies, I’d undoubtedly find myself at a disadvantage‘Forget it, I don’t want to dwell on it. I'll see how it goes and take it one step at a time.’In the front seat, Patrick took charge of driving as they made their way to the art exhibition center situated in a far-off area. Chloe gazed out the window, observing the fleeting scenery, and eventually closed her eyes, seeking solace after a day filled with restlessness.It was Patrick's voice that roused her from her reverie, prompting her to follow Joseph and
Chloe fell silent, finally realizing that this was yet another form of humiliation directed at her."No need. I'm not interested in you, and I don't want your autograph," Chloe said with a sweet smile on her face. "By the way, my favorite celebrity is Aiden Knight."In an act of retaliation, she purposely brought up the name of his rival, fully aware of the impact it would have.As anticipated, Sebastian's expression immediately turned grim. He let go of Chloe and sneered sarcastically, "Well, you have terrible tastes then."Chloe shrugged with nonchalance, casually turning her head away to demonstrate her lack of interest in getting into an argument with someone so uncivilized. Just then, Joseph returned with Jane, who shared an equally discontented look as Sebastian. Her eyes were red, hinting at an unpleasant incident that had taken place.Chloe furrowed her brow momentarily but swiftly eased her expression. She looked at Joseph and asked, "When does the evening party begin?"
He had plenty of ways to silence these people.Chloe blinked and said, "It's not about fighting over a piece of bread, but about fighting for dignity. Just answer my question."'Embarrassed?'Joseph chuckled and replied, "You're overthinking it. If there's anyone who’ll end up embarrassed, it’ll be you.Words caught in her throat, Chloe was unable to retort. In this case, she did not need to worry about anything anymore. Just as the host hesitated on whether to skip this part and end the event, she stood up."Can I have five minutes to prepare?"Her voice was sweet and melodic as it echoed throughout the exhibition hall.The host was stunned for a moment before smiling. "Of course."As the crowd watched intently, Chloe took her seat in front of the piano. She took a deep breath, gently rested her fingers on the keys, and began the process of familiarizing herself with the instrument."Hah, what a poser. There's no benefit in putting on airs and pretending to be something you'r
"I didn't.""Then why are they…""You’re my wife. If they disrespect you, wouldn't it be disrespecting the Whitmans?" he answered.On top of those, Chloe did not disgrace him.The bidding for the piano ended with a final bid of 2,000,000 dollars, called out by Joseph himself. It was not that others lacked the money, but rather, they did not dare to bid.After all, it was his wife who played the piece, and their participation was merely for show. Engaging in a bidding war would have been inappropriate.On their way back, Joseph asked Chloe, "Why do you only know how to play one piece?"She paused for a moment, and self-mockingly replied, "When I was in high school, I wanted to learn to play. However, my father insisted that Ava should be the one to learn, believing that it was unnecessary for me to spend money on such pursuits. To prove myself, I’d visit a classmate's house every afternoon to practice on their piano. Due to my limited access to the instrument, I became familiar w