Sophia was driven crazy by her shamelessness. "Why you... Have you no shame?""Shame? Yeah, I have no shame. I indeed entered Fairlight through the backdoor and Joseph does favor me. Just a few sweet nothings whispered in his ear, and he would have you fired. Smart people know to please me, but you resorted to scheming against me. How foolish can you be?"Infuriated and knowing that the rumors had already spread, Chloe decided to unleash herself. Joseph was far from being a middle-aged man. He possessed both striking looks and abundant wealth. Therefore, even if she were entangled in such a relationship, it would hardly be a cause for shame.Lucas entered the department to announce some team-building matters, only to stumble upon the heated argument between Chloe and Sophia. He was momentarily taken aback and unsure whether to intervene or retreat.In her desperation, Sophia caught sight of Lucas and immediately grabbed him, pouring out her grievances. "Mr. Lucas, Chloe slapped me
Today was Tuesday, and everyone was overjoyed since they were all going on an all-expenses-paid team-building trip.Joseph was always generous to his employees, providing ample funds for the event. They had booked Graceville Estate which offered amenities such as hot springs, a horse stable, archery, and even a game room for entertainment.Everyone was excited, but some of them had family matters to attend to and stayed behind to work in the office. Those who went on the trip brought their laptops with them in case there were any urgent work matters to address.Chloe joined everyone in boarding the bus for the journey. On the way, a lady from the administration department distributed the hotel key cards.Initially, it was planned for two people to share a room. However, when it was Chloe's turn, she was handed a key card for a single deluxe room. The staff member explained, "We’re out of double rooms, so you and another colleague will have to stay in separate rooms."Chloe was del
Chloe suppressed her shivers and felt her face heating up."I'm... I'm fine," she managed to reply.Upon hearing her response, Joseph mischievously placed his other hand on her waist, slowly moving it upward while increasing the intensity of his kiss. Her delicate skin tingled at his touch, turning red and purplish under his lips."Are you sure you're okay? Your face suddenly turned red... Are you having a fever?" her colleague hesitated and expressed concern.Feeling a sharp pain on the back of her neck, Chloe could not help but let out a groan. Both she and her colleague froze.Chloe closed her eyes in embarrassment, wishing she could find a hole to hide in. ‘Damnit! What the hell was that? Why would such a sound come out of my mouth? I felt a pain, and that came out of my mouth?! People might think I'm having sex right now!'Her colleague's face also turned red. Feeling a little scared, she stumbled for an excuse before hurrying away.Watching her colleague disappear from sig
The man immediately flew into a rage upon hearing her words and forcefully grabbed her clothes, pulling her into the nearby bushes.Chloe screamed in fear, her voice echoing through the air. The colleagues playing cards nearby rushed to the scene when they heard her screaming."Hey! Who are you?! Let go of her!" one of the colleagues shouted."Get away from her! If you keep touching her, I'll call the police!" another colleague threatened.Seeing the growing number of people gathering, the man sneered dismissively. "I just wanted to have some fun with her. Who knew she’d overreact? Those hickeys on her neck prove that she's a loose woman."Chloe’s colleagues who were in the game room earlier grew restless when she failed to return, so they decided to step outside for a stroll. Unexpectedly, they had heard her cries for help."You sicko! Any normal person would assume that the hickeys on my neck are love bites from my boyfriend. Only people like you who hold such perverted views w
"It would be better for Ms. Chloe herself to inform me about this," Noah said, his tone remaining confident and gentle.Joseph sneered, his voice solemn. "Rather than seeking endorsements for promotion, I suggest your company focuses on its own employees. No amount of promotion can erase the discerning eyes of the public. Character is synonymous with value. Since you operate in the jewelry industry, where the majority of customers are women, shouldn't your employees show some respect toward women?"Noah narrowed his eyes. "I don't understand what you're saying, Mr. Joseph.""If you don't understand, you can go online and find the answers," Joseph replied coldly.*Due to the large number of employees at Fairlight, they could not fit everyone inside the dining hall, so the dinner was arranged to take place outside. The evening breeze blew gently, and the lights created a pleasant atmosphere.When Joseph arrived, Chloe and the other employees had been waiting for more than ten minu
Joseph could feel Chloe’s gaze upon him. He lowered his eyes and a smile played at the corners of his lips. His icy gaze was filled with tenderness as he leaned down and whispered, "Is this what you wanted?"To him, it did not matter whether their relationship was announced or not. He just disliked having his private life scrutinized. But if it meant that Chloe would lose her sense of security and constantly bother him, he preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble.Unable to contain herself, Chloe threw herself into his arms, her eyes filling with happiness. "Jojo, you were so cool! I love you!!"The people below finally reacted, shouting in unison, "Congratulations to Mr. Joseph and Ms. Chloe!""May you have a long and harmonious marriage!"Some bolder individuals hollered, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"People naturally loved to join in the excitement. With one person shouting, the second and third followed suit... Eventually, all the employees joined in, creating a resounding and synchroniz
"You don't need to go for the audition," Joseph said.Under the influence of alcohol, he began his advances like an ambitious predator.A chill ran through Chloe's body as she lowered her head, only to find her clothes torn. She felt a mixture of embarrassment and anxiety as she pleaded, "Jojo, please! Give me a few more days!"Joseph's breath grew uneven. He caressed her face with his large hand as he gazed at her deeply, "Didn't you long to have me? It's not like you haven't undressed in front of me before. Why the shyness?"Chloe felt the urge to burst into tears. The actions she had taken thus far were out of desperation, fueled by the mistaken belief that he was Jake's uncle. If she had been aware of the truth, she would never have allowed herself to engage in such behavior.Joseph ignored her and refused to stop. Chloe's struggles were futile, so she surrendered and let nature take its course.However, it seemed that something unexpected always happened during such moments.
Not long after Chloe left, a waiter came to serve tea.Joseph had given Lucas a holiday to rest, hence Lucas did not have to bother with such trifles.*Chloe's colleagues were having a great time singing their lungs out at the karaoke lounge. The music blared, affecting Chloe who soon got into the mood. She had a great time until nine o'clock at night, almost forgetting about her audition.After she said hurried goodbyes to her colleague, she returned to her room to pack up her things. When she walked into the elevator, she recalled that she had yet to tell Joseph about her leaving. Hence, she pressed on button for the presidential suite floor and hurried there.Chloe had the keycard. When she entered the room, it was pitch dark and she could barely see a thing. She thought Joseph was not in the room and was about to leave when suddenly she felt a pair of hot hands coming at her.After that, the person aimed straight for her lips.When Chloe smelled the familiar scent, she knew
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