"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
Chloe wanted to smack herself in the face. ‘Why did I tell Lily that I worked as a maid?’Now that things had come to this point, Icarus would surely think that something illicit was happening between her and Joseph.'Hang on. It's true that I have to keep my marriage with Joseph a secret.'With this realization, Chloe instantly felt less embarrassed. In fact, when they bumped into Joseph as he was coming downstairs, she even took the initiative to invite him to join them for a meal.After all, Icarus and Lily had come all the way here, and it was only reasonable for her and Joseph to entertain them together. If she went out for a meal with someone else and returned home late, Joseph would certainly be mad about it. So it was better to take the initiative and invite him along.Upon receiving Chloe's invitation, Joseph thought, ‘This dumbo’s making some progress.’He had previously told her to avoid being alone with other men, and she not only remembered his instruction but also i
It was only then Chloe noticed then that his complexion was pale, with his eyebrows furrowed tightly and fine beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead and nose.Without hesitation, she hurried to the nearest pharmacy and returned with the medicine.After taking the medicine, Joseph’s complexion slowly improved after half an hour.Once they returned to the house, Chloe asked softly, "If you can't handle spicy food, why did you eat the crawfish?"She regretted bringing him there in the first place.Joseph, still covered in a cold sweat, glanced at her and smiled ambiguously. "You were going out for a meal with another man. If I don't follow you, do you expect me to starve?"The guilt that had just welled up in Chloe's heart vanished without a trace. Annoyed, she retorted, "I didn't force you to eat, and there's nothing in the contract that says I can't go out for a meal with friends.""Is that not stated in the contract? Thanks for the reminder. I’ll add it tomorrow.""Joseph,
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