”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,
"You know these employees of Fairlight?" the developer asked.Melody was taken aback. "She's from Fairlight?"'Didn't Ava say Chloe had left Fairlight and wasn't working there anymore? Why is she back there now?'"She is. The two of them are here today to inspect the site," the property developer confirmed.Jealousy and anger overcame Melody's face, but she suppressed her emotions and put on a friendly facade. With a forced smile, she said, "I've known her for many years. We're old friends."Chloe remained silent, rolling her eyes but choosing not to expose the truth. She just wanted to get her job done as soon as possible.Realization hit the developer and he generously granted them half an hour to catch up. However, Chloe quickly declined and said, "No, no. We should dedicate ourselves to our work during office hours. We can catch up privately outside of work."The property developer looked at Chloe with appreciation in his eyes.Melody was so enraged that her eyeballs were a