"Let's talk about it tomorrow. I'm tired and just want to go home and rest," Chloe said."Sure," he replied."But I thought you left. Why did you come back?" she asked while they waited for the elevator.Raising an eyebrow, Joseph responded, "Who told you I left?""So you never left? You've been in the office this whole time?""I was busy for a while, and by the time I finished, it was almost ten o'clock," he explained.In other words, he had been waiting for her.Chloe smiled mischievously, her eyes sparkling, "I see..."'He just refuses to admit that he was waiting for me!'Inside the elevator, Joseph slovenly leaned against the wall, his waist narrow and shoulders broad. He cast a cold glance at her and scoffed indifferently.Enchanted by his charm, Chloe stared at him blankly for a couple of seconds. Honestly, she had suspected that Joseph was not Jake's uncle when she first met him at the bar. After all, he was too good-looking to be his uncle. Though doubts had arisen,
Chloe's face froze, overwhelmed by a bitter and melancholic sensation that consumed her heart. Indeed, they were merely bound by a contractual relationship. Even though there had been fleeting moments of sweetness that morning, their relationship remained imbalanced."Fine, my mistake. I won't say anything," she admitted weakly.However, Joseph found no satisfaction in her meek apology. Instead, it only added to his mounting frustration.Lucas dared not intrude on the tense atmosphere and continued driving until they reached the villa.Chloe was the first to step out of the car and enter the yard. She went to take Toto for a stroll. Initially, Toto was overjoyed to see them return home, but now sensing the tension between the two, its ears drooped timidly and its dark eyes filled with unease.Joseph furrowed his brow and uttered, "Don't vent your frustrations on the dog."Wearing a fake smile, Chloe replied, "Is this smile satisfactory for serving your beloved dog?"Joseph respo
A man in his forties stepped out of the car, his square face exuding an air of dignity. He was dressed modestly, but around his neck sat a precious Blue Tiger’s Eye necklace.Ava recognized the man before her, and her whole being surged with excitement. He was the tycoon who controlled the entertainment industry, having established multiple film and television companies. Many of today's hottest celebrities were nurtured under his company's guidance.However, he seldom appeared in public. Why would such a prominent figure visit such an obscure place?As Calvin laid eyes on Ava for the first time, a hint of dissatisfaction flickered across his face. Involuntarily, he compared her to his daughter, lamenting that she had not inherited Luciana's favorable genes. Despite his initial disappointment, Calvin's expression softened considerably as he thought about the fact that this girl shared Luciana's blood."What’s your name?" he asked gently, his gaze filled with warmth."Mr. Calvin, I'
She would rather endure Joseph's scolding than let Ellie take advantage of her efforts.With determined steps, Chloe walked toward the elevator without looking back. Ellie hurriedly followed after her, looking as if she was trying to stop Chloe. However, she came to a halt in front of the elevator, observing as it came to a stop on a higher floor without emitting even a single sound. Witnessing this, she returned to the marketing department with a smug sense of satisfaction.A few colleagues approached her with worried expressions and asked, "Ellie, did Chloe really go to see Mr. Joseph?"Sighing, she replied, "Well, yes. I did try to stop her. I even told her that we could split the bonus in half, but she didn't care. She insisted on having the full 20 thousand.""Wow… She's so greedy…"*Standing at the entrance of Joseph's office, Chloe confidently raised her hand and lightly knocked on the door. Without waiting for a response, she took a step forward and entered the room.Se
Chloe glanced at Lucas awkwardly. "It's okay. I'll just stand."They were at the office right now, and it was necessary to maintain proper decorum, especially with others present.Joseph's gaze sharply swept across the room, and Lucas immediately grasped the signal. "I’ll be leaving now," he said.Chloe was speechless. 'Oh well, guess I'll just go ahead and sit then. It's not like it's the first time anyway. I'll consider it a free cushion.'As she settled into Joseph's lap and adjusted her position, a thought crossed her mind. She turned back to Joseph and remarked, "Make sure not your belt doesn’t poke me this time."A hint of crimson graced Joseph's handsome face as he retorted in a low voice, "Shut up."Chloe pursed her lips. She had noticed that whenever Joseph could not come up with a response, he resorted to telling her to shut up.He lightly clicked his mouse, and the surveillance footage from outside the marketing department the previous night appeared on the screen.A
"Hmm? What is it?""Don't allow Xavia to come between you and Mr. Joseph. Their chapter is closed, and you’re the one who matters to him now. When you two had an argument yesterday, he was in a sour mood all morning. It wasn’t until you arrived that he seemed to brighten up a bit."Lucas had been working anxiously the whole morning as he was afraid of enraging Joseph.Chloe looked at Lucas, taking in his features. With his delicate facial structure and slightly tanned skin, he exuded a spirited demeanor. Aware of his good intentions, she calmly shook her head. "You know that our marriage is fake, right? The contract will expire. We have no relationship beyond that.""Don't you want to fight for it?" Lucas asked."What do I have to fight with?" Chloe retorted."Mr. Joseph has shown interest in you. You have a chance," Lucas encouraged.Chloe scoffed mockingly. "He has never explicitly expressed any romantic feelings toward me. I've tried, but the outcome was far from satisfactory
"Do you know her?" Ellie asked."Chloe used to work at Baxon, and I had always desired a taste of her," Maurice said.This caused Ellie to pause in surprise. She had never expected Chloe to have worked for Baxon, and it seemed to her that Maurice held a strong interest in her. "Find a way to arrange a meeting with her quickly. I don't care what you do, but I need a few photos as evidence," she said.Maurice replied, "Arranging a meeting with Chloe won't be easy. She’s wary of me.""You want me to help you?" Ellie questioned."Let's not frame it as helping or not helping. If you help me, you'll benefit too."Ellie contemplated for a brief moment, her mind filled with vivid images of a future where Chloe's reputation was completely destroyed, leaving her unable to pose any competition. A wave of pleasure surged through Ellie, engulfing her with a sense of satisfaction."All right then, but it'll cost you more," Elie agreed.*Since the day Xavia appeared at Fairlight, several da
Lucas walked over, and right in front of Chloe, said to the man who was saving her number, "You can go to Finance to get your this month's salary before you leave."For a moment, the man could not understand. "But today isn’t payday."Realization dawned on Chloe. She said fearfully, "Is he fired..."Lucas was implicit. "Pretty close." He glanced at the new number she recently added that appeared on her phone screen in silent advice.Chloe was instantly enlightened. She speedily walked in the direction Joseph had left.*"We just exchanged numbers and didn't do anything. It isn't a big deal for colleagues to exchange contacts." Chloe tugged at Joseph's sleeves and said flatteringly, "Could you please not fire him..."'If not, I'll feel very guilty. That colleague looks to be my age. He most probably had to get past many difficulties after passing the interview in the recruitment process.'However, Joseph chuckled out of fury. He cracked a sinister smile. "Are you begging for mer
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