Joseph looked at her coldly and replied, "No.""Okay…"Chloe did not dwell on the matter too much, thinking that she must have been hearing things."Are all your clothes this revealing?" Joseph suddenly asked in a cold voice.Perplexed, she looked down at her nightgown, which reached her calves. "Revealing? What do you mean by revealing?""Your collar," he answered.Chloe was speechless. "Only a little of my collarbone is shown…"Joseph was not much older than Jake. She assumed that he was at most eight years older than him, so why was he so conservative?"Others won't see a thing now, but what if you're lying down?" Joseph stared at her, his magnetic voice pleasing to the ear.Chloe was stunned when she heard what he said and suddenly realized what the closing sound from earlier was all about. Her cheeks grew hot but kept calm and met his gaze. "If I were lying down, it‘d only be in my own room. Unless...you have some sinister plot to secretly watch me."Joseph laughed and s
The interview began with a written test, followed by a face-to-face interview.Chloe excelled in the written test and submitted her paper confidently. As she was leaving, she noticed that there were many blanks on Melody’s test paper. However, Melody was calmly admiring her freshly painted nails and showed no signs of concern.Suddenly, Chloe had a feeling that passing the interview would be an uphill battle for her.Sure enough, when the results of the written test were announced, Chloe had not been selected and had received the lowest score among all the candidates."This is impossible. I couldn't have scored so low!" Chloe confronted the interviewer. "I want to see my test paper and I want to know a clear explanation of where points were deducted."The interviewer, William Grace, stood up and arrogantly replied, "Each interviewer has their own criteria, but one thing is consistent: low scores represent failure. Please don't make a scene and leave immediately. Our time is valuab
Lucas remembered that HR was holding an interview. He assumed that this was the resume of someone who had failed to pass.Just as he was about to toss the resume in the bin, he was suddenly stopped in his tracks."Hold on.”Upon hearing the familiar name on the resume, Joseph furrowed his brows and reached out to take it from Lucas.At the top floor of the building, the HR manager nervously handed over a stack of interviewee information forms to the CEO’s assistant. Lucas took them and pushed open the door to the office. The HR manager strained to get a look but did not manage to see anything and left disappointed."Find out more about this person named Chloe Johnson," Joseph ordered emotionlessly."Right away, sir," Lucas replied, and within ten minutes, he had found Chloe's information. "Mr. Joseph, here’s her information. She was rejected in the first round.""Given her qualifications, that shouldn't have happened," Joseph said as he laid the previously crumpled resume flat o
Finding a young and resilient person with a C2 certification in Estrenian was not easy these days, as many young people tend to quit their jobs at the slightest difficulty and value their freedom greatly.Perhaps Joseph was just cherishing talent?William was leisurely sipping on a coffee in his office when he received notice of his dismissal. The HR manager placed the termination letter in front of him, and it took him a while to realize what was happening."Are you kidding me? I've been with Fairlight for fifteen years, and I’m being fired just like that?!" William shouted.The HR manager had harbored resentment toward William for quite some time. His smirk conveyed a sense of satisfaction as he said, "I'm not responsible for this decision. It was made by the CEO."William's spirits plummeted as he spoke, "You may dismiss me but I demand an explanation and compensation.""There's no compensation," the manager chuckled. "As for the reason, I'm not quite sure. But many things don
It was nine at night by the time Joseph got home.The villa was dark and quiet. He changed into his house slippers at the entrance and walked past Chloe's room, stopping for a moment before raising his hand to knock a few times.Chloe's hoarse voice came from inside, "Just a moment."As she spoke, a ray of light shone through the crack under the door. After a few seconds, Chloe got to the door. Following a brief pause, she turned the handle and the door creaked open. However, her usual beaming expression had vanished, replaced instead by puffy, reddened eyes and nose, a clear indication that she had been crying for quite some time.Looking at Chloe in this manner was unsettling for Joseph. She appeared disheartened, akin to a drooping flower drenched by a storm."Have you been crying?" he asked.Chloe sniffled and turned her face to the side. "No.""I'm not blind," he replied calmly.Chloe was in no mood to argue with him and asked weakly, "What do you want?"Joseph froze for
"A security guard?"Lucas had not told Joseph that a security guard had been involved as well.Chloe nodded, and as she recounted the incident, she felt aggravated. Rolling up her sleeves, she showed him the scratches."This is what he did to me. There’s a wound on my calf too."The two scabs on her fair skin looked like damage on a priceless piece of artwork, and the sight was jarring.As she continued to complain about Fairlight, his expression grew increasingly dark. Chloe only noticed something was amiss with Joseph's expression after she had finished venting. She cautiously prodded him with her finger and asked, "What's the matter?"'Is he a friend to the CEO of Fairlight?'"Nothing," Joseph replied."Okay…"Joseph lowered his gaze and suppressed his emotions. "Go to bed early, and please wash the dishes.""Sure," Chloe said readily. She did not find any issue in taking care of the dishes since Joseph was the one who cooked.The lights were still on at the Johnson resid
The previous security guard had been replaced by two honest and kindly-looking young men.Spotting Chloe looking around, they thought she had lost her way and approached her."No, no, I'm not lost. I'm here for an interview," she explained. After a short pause, she continued, "I didn't see you two yesterday when I came for an interview. Do you work on a shift system?""I was taking care of the warehouse yesterday and just transferred here today," one of the guards replied."What about the guard who was previously in charge of this area?" Chloe asked out of curiosity.The man on the other side hesitated for a moment, scratching his head and struggling to find an answer. Chloe suddenly realized what had happened and was somewhat shocked. It seemed that he had been fired.Initially, she had come for the high salary Fairlight offered, but now she felt that the company’s management was willing to own up to their mistakes instead of covering up for their own people.After yesterday's
A satisfied smile crossed Ava's face as she hung up the phone.Under Ava's guidance, Melody quickly reached out to a paparazzo and even went as far as to hire a team of internet trolls.In the afternoon, Chloe was learning how to cook by following a tutorial on the Internet. When Joseph came home and saw her in the kitchen wearing an apron, listening to instructions on her phone, and putting various spices into the pot.He said, "If you can't cook, stop pretending. Food is meant to be eaten, not wasted."He did not want to eat takeout or poorly made food again.Chloe turned to look at him, and a bashful smile appeared on her face. "Don't worry. I think I did a pretty good job this time."Joseph glanced at the food she called "pretty good" and chuckled, "You can eat it. Remember to call an ambulance in advance if you do.""Come on, just give it a try. I promise I've gotten a lot better than last time!"“No thank you," Joseph replied as he took off his coat and hung it on the rac
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