"Hehe, you've figured it out." Emily playfully twirled a strand of her hair before adopting a serious tone. "Actually, you can look at this matter from a multifaceted perspective. For example, you own a small company now. While you may not be filthy rich, you don’t have to worry about your basic needs and you can afford to hire help and provide for your children. But now, imagine an ordinary working woman from an average family background, education, and job skills, who’s in the midst of building her career. For her, being a single mother presents a tremendous challenge. Besides, don't you find nurturing a baby into an adult incredibly rewarding?"Chloe's heart softened as she listened, and her eyes gleamed. "It's not just about finding fulfillment. It's about finding redemption."With Emily's support, Chloe suddenly saw things in a new light. Since she could not bear to let go, then she would stay. After all, she had the means to provide for the child. Joseph was Joseph, and she was
Chloe grew flustered, her face alternating between shades of red and white. "No, it's not.""There can't be anyone else but him." Noah shook his head determinately. "You don't have feelings for Icarus."Being with Icarus was an act of gratitude and appreciation, but it was not love. He would not have resorted to such despicable means to hold onto her if she truly had feelings for him."How did you know?""So I was right." Noah concealed his emotions, burying them deep within his eyes. Taking on the role of an observer, curiosity tinged with heartache seeped into his voice. "You and Joseph were already divorced a month ago. Did he force himself on you?"Chloe's body tensed. "Please don't ask. I don't want to talk about it.""I'm sorry. I shouldn't interfere with your personal affairs. Some of the things I'm about to say may not be pleasant to hear, but as a friend, I don't want you to be trapped in this situation. I must say my piece," Noah said sincerely."Xavia has been taken t
Joseph's anger transformed into a mocking smile, his lips curling with derision. "Yes, of course. I'm your senior."Noah's expression stiffened, and he remained silent."What’s the relationship between Ava and Calvin?" Joseph asked, his eyes seemingly capable of peering into the depths of all things.Noah found this amusing and said, "If you want to know, why don't you ask Calvin directly? What does it have to do with me?""Whether it's Calvin, Ava, or even you, or perhaps the Sullivans, there must be a definite connection," Joseph said, his tone brimming with certainty.Setting his jaw tightly, Noah replied, "Then go ahead and investigate."Joseph's smile turned enigmatic, and a glimmer of confidence flickered across his handsome face. "I will."He realized that Noah was hiding something and that this situation was more complex than it seemed. It was crucial to conduct an investigation and warn Chloe. After all, a polished facade could be misleading, and he suspected that Noah
Chloe's eyelid twitched as she helplessly watched him storm out and slam the door behind him. The force of the door closing was tremendous, causing the frame to shake and appear on the verge of collapsing. She felt a mixture of anger and amusement.She could not help but wonder, 'What the hell is wrong with him? Just because I spoke the truth, he couldn't handle it anymore? What a strange guy.'After Joseph left, Chloe got the maintenance department staff to fix the door frame, which was on the brink of falling apart. Then, she settled down and busied herself with work. She kept herself occupied until evening. Although she had initially planned to work overtime, she remembered the doctor's advice and decided to go home on time to rest. After all, rest was important during the first three months of pregnancy.Chloe grabbed dinner at a restaurant downstairs of the office building and returned home to wash up and sleep. In the middle of the night, she heard a commotion as if a dog was
Chloe's heart raced as if she had grasped a lifeline. She urgently pleaded with Joseph, "Quick! Take Toto to the vet hospital now!"Witnessing the scene before him, Joseph's face turned pale, and he immediately contacted the veterinarian. The knife was still embedded in Toto's body, and they could not simply move it around.Pointing at the fruit knife on Toto's belly, Xavia asked, her voice laced with disbelief, "Chloe, isn't this fruit knife from your home?"Chloe’s scalp tingled and a chilling thought took hold of her as she looked closely. It was indeed her own fruit knife. Someone had intruded into her house in the middle of the night and harmed Toto without her knowledge. But what if the intruder's real target was herself? Would she have met the same fate as Toto? Or perhaps, without Toto, the person lying in a pool of blood would be her..."How could you commit such a heinous act?! If you hate me, that's one thing, but Toto is innocent!" Xavia shouted angrily, her eyes turnin
With a cold expression on his face, Joseph was about to say something when the veterinarian arrived on the scene. He and the vet carefully moved Toto onto a gurney before leaving.Standing rooted to the spot, Chloe felt a wave of bitterness and discomfort wash over her. Despite this, she could not contain her concern for Toto and sent a text to Lucas in the afternoon, inquiring about its condition. Lucas told her that Toto was still in a critical condition and it remained to be seen if it would make it through the night.Upon receiving this news, a suffocating sensation gripped her chest throughout the day. However, there was another pressing matter that needed her attention. She had to move out of her current place as soon as possible. She felt unsafe there as if she were being watched. If she did not leave soon, something bad might happen.She contacted a real estate agency that same day, and they recommended Oceanic Residence. It was conveniently close to her workplace, with supe
The driver left Ava at the farmhouse and returned to Docwood. "Mr. Noah, I've done as you instructed," he said."Okay," Noah replied nonchalantly. He had gotten Ava out of sight, and the next target was Calvin. The person to unveil Chloe's identity had to be him. Not even Joseph stood a chance. After brief contemplation, he made a video call to Calvin.The man in question was berating his managers when he saw the incoming call and waved them away. Moving his mouse, he clicked to answer.The face of a young man appeared on the screen, smiling as he looked at Calvin. "I have something to tell you."Calvin was curious. "What is it?"He knew Noah had something up his sleeve, and he was curious to know what he had to say."It's about Aunt Luciana's daughter.""You found her?!" Calvin could not hide his excitement and sat up straight."No." Noah shook his head. "The current issue is that Aunt Luciana's jewelry has appeared on the market. There’s a possibility that it might be exp
"What makes you think you can ask me for money? Am I your father?""But you're my cousin!" Jonathan said exasperatingly, "Besides, don’t you always say that I haven't achieved anything? You have to support me this time."Joseph clasped his hands under his chin and looked at Jonathan deeply. Seeing this, Jonathan thought there was hope and continued to push his plan."I don't care about chip research.""Ah? Then what are you thinking about?""When you’re going to leave."*Jonathan stormed out of Fairlight in frustration. At that moment, Octavia called him to ask if he had obtained the money from Joseph."Forget it. Joseph wouldn’t budge an inch.""He's so selfish. The Whitmans don't belong to him alone. He refuses to let you join the board, and now he refuses to support you in your solo career. He doesn't deserve the position of power he has in this family.""Mom, let’s not talk about him anymore. The most important thing right now is to secure the money. This project is a gu
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