Joseph's breath was scorching, his large hands cupping her cheeks. He looked deeply into her eyes and whispered, "Tell me, where do you want to go?""The car.”Joseph agreed and released his grip on her wrist.Seizing this opportunity, Chloe swiftly utilized the self-defense techniques she had learned in the past. With precision and speed, she raised her knee and delivered a fierce kick to Joseph's lower body. Caught off guard, he instantly turned pale, his handsome face contorted with a ferocious and grim expression as if he were ready to devour someone whole.Terrified, Chloe could not bring herself to look back and hastily pushed open the door, fleeing in a state of panic. As the forum reached its conclusion, Icarus noticed Chloe's flushed face and could not help but express his curiosity. "Didn't you go to the restroom? Why are you so sweaty?"Chloe guiltily replied, "The restroom was crowded."Icarus nodded, but before he could inquire further, a group of men approached him
Joseph's face showed a hint of unease as he turned his head and reached for a change of clothes. "While you're at it, make some snacks for the two dogs. If you can bring them back everything on your own, I'm too lazy to go with you.""Snacks for the dogs?" Chloe shook her head, earnestly calculating the items that needed to be purchased. "It’d be better if you came with me. I can't carry everything myself."Just to cater to the culinary preferences of a certain someone, Chloe had to buy ingredients for two days, ensuring that each meal consisted of at least six different dishes without repeating ingredients. On top of that, there were chicken breasts and big bones required to prepare special snacks for the dogs. The shopping list was extensive, and it was clear that even the use of two large bags would be insufficient to hold everything.Joseph casually smoothed down the wrinkles on his clothes, his expression displaying a hint of annoyance. "Ugh, you’re so troublesome."Chloe had
"What are you doing?! Put me down!""Testing the effectiveness of the oyster shooters."*Chloe was shocked motionless, as if lightning had struck her, unable to move a muscle.Joseph tossed her onto the bed and pinned his entire body against hers, smothering her with an onslaught of relentless kisses.Shaking off her initial stupor, Chloe swiftly regained her senses, clutching her clothes protectively, refusing to let him advance any further. "No, don't do this...""It's too late."Chloe turned her face away, nibbling on her rosy lips. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have provoked you. Please, let's not do this… Please?" She reluctantly admitted to having cold feet now, and she regretted ever making him the oyster shooters."No… Please don’t do this…"*A few hours later, it was finally over.Chloe retreated to the kitchen, seeking solace in the familiar embrace of cooking. She transformed her anger into a driving force, channeling it into the swift preparation of six delecta
Gabriel disregarded her displeasure, for in his eyes, Chloe was indeed a commodity. Her pure allure, combined with her good figure, made her unique in the eyes of a man like him, who was gifted with exceptional talents and had encountered a multitude of beautiful women throughout his life.This encounter held the promise of surpassing his previous experiences, including those with Xavia.Joseph descended the stairs, fresh from his shower. The partially open bathrobe around him revealed water droplets sliding down his chiseled physique. His composed and distant countenance exuded a lingering satisfaction, arousing endless reverie.Witnessing this, Gabriel swiftly grasped the situation and smiled, remarking, "Indulging in a lavish feast, I see?" He added to his subtle implication with a deliberate glance in Chloe's direction.*Chloe averted her gaze, unwilling to confront such a look, and promptly retreated to the kitchen. Joseph raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying, a
Having learned her lesson, she turned around and muttered under her breath as she exited the office, "We’ll see if I dare."Perhaps merely a product of her imagination, Chloe had a lingering sense of being followed as she made her way home. It was not until she reached the safety of her house that the feeling of being trailed faded away, leaving her to question if her worries had been excessive.*The next day, Exotic Star's private car came to pick her up. Chloe brought her laptop, intending to work during the journey. Noah informed her that if everything went smoothly, they could wrap up the shoot in three days.As a newcomer in the industry, Chloe initially took some time to adapt and understand the requirements. However, her quick wit and adaptability allowed her to grasp the demands swiftly, fully immersing herself in the shooting process.Two days passed, and despite a few minor obstacles, overall progress was satisfactory. With just one more day to go, they would successful
Noah's eyes flickered with slight surprise, a momentary shimmer of perplexity crossing his amber gaze. However, he swiftly regained his composure and calmly responded, "You’ll find someone better."The man might not possess Joseph’s wealth, but he would undoubtedly have a better temperament than him."Thank you, Noah," Chloe replied."I'll get a car to take you home, but it'll take about half an hour," Noah offered."No need to trouble yourself. I already called a cab. We'll meet again when the opportunity arises," Chloe declined.Noah nodded. "All right, until next time then."Shortly after parting ways with Noah, that lingering feeling of being followed resurfaced within Chloe. She quickened her pace and suddenly turned her head. It was a long street ahead, populated by several individuals resembling office workers and a man wearing headphones, lost in his own world of music. Unable to discern anything unusual, she continued walking toward the hotel.The room Noah arranged for
Lucas thought for a while and said, "Maybe she's busy. Should I call and ask?"Joseph's face turned icy, and he almost crushed his phone in his grip. "No need."He had been overly lenient with her all this time. It was time for her to realize that there were plenty of women interested in him. Today, he wanted her to feel a sense of urgency and understand when to come back.Docwood, the Walker mansion.Joseph was clad in an exquisite black tailcoat, exuding a commanding and refined presence akin to a noble prince. Seated beside him was Natalie Walker, the granddaughter of Arthur Walker. Their recent encounter on the dance floor had been skillfully captured by visiting journalists, and it would be no surprise if Chloe caught a glimpse of it on the news tomorrow.Natalie blushed and said shyly, "Mr. Joseph, why did you invite me to be your plus-one? My grandfather said you were married, but I refuse to believe it."Joseph's face was strikingly handsome as he suppressed his impatienc
Calvin spat out the blood from his mouth and said, "Rest assured. I'm not as wicked as you."He had initially intended to let Chloe have a taste of her own medicine, but her resemblance to Luciana made him hesitate in the end.Joseph's heart eased. He picked Chloe up in his arms and headed toward the exit. As they reached the doorway, he abruptly spun around, his eyes aglow with a bloodthirsty madness. "Do you honestly believe things will end this easily?"Calvin's brows knitted together in a display of anger, his voice dripping with contempt. "What else do you want? Don't forget, you were the one who made a move on Ava first! You even did such despicable things to her. Are you even a man?!In his heart, Chloe might be innocent, but Joseph had gone too far. Fortunately, Ava was strong-willed and did not do anything foolish. Comparatively, he had already shown mercy toward Chloe.Joseph's face turned cold as he uttered, "Ava brought it upon herself."After the medical assessment,
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