Joseph's face darkened. "You just need to cooperate with the investigation. Why the fuss?""What do you mean, 'Why the fuss?'" Xavia said, her voice trembling as she began to cry while covering her face. "I was taken away by the police in front of so many people during my concert. How will my fans see me? How will the audience see me? Grandpa already had a poor opinion of me, and now with this incident, I'll never gain his approval."Chloe frowned, finding Xavia’s crying voice grating. "Even without today's incident, you still wouldn't have gained Grandpa's approval."You reaped what you sowed. If Xavia had ever cared about Toto in the first place, none of this would have happened."I didn't..." Xavia's voice cracked, her eyes turning red around the rims. "The police have already proved my innocence. Why are you still so harsh with me? You just want Joe, right? I'll give him back to you. I just want our child to be born safely. Please stop making things difficult for me."In just
The firefighter looked at him seriously and asked, "Are you a family member or a friend of hers?"But before he got an answer, he quickly added, "Regardless of your identity, your main purpose is to calm her down. Don't say anything that might upset her, understand?"Joseph furrowed his brow and nodded."By the way, can you swim?""Yes.""Good. Go ahead."Step by step, Joseph walked toward the sea. The water soaked his suit, clinging to his well-built physique, emphasizing his broad shoulders and long legs. Despite being drenched, he and Xavia exuded an air of elegance and nobility as if they were a pair of fallen celestial beings.One of the people live-streaming with their phone said to Chloe, "I have to admit. Even when all drenched, they make a really good couple.”Chloe felt a sense of discomfort but remained silent."Forget me, Joe. I'm just a cancer patient. You have a long life ahead of you, so don't let me and the child hold you back." Xavia smiled faintly. "If there'
When Xavia heard Chloe’s words, she revealed an indiscernible but arrogant smile. The next second, she went limp and fell into Joseph's arms, who quickly brought her to the ambulance.Chloe clutched his arm and glued her gaze to him. "If I'm pregnant, will you send Xavia to someplace else?"Joseph knitted his brows. "What do you mean? Do you want me to send her child to someplace else too?"Chloe shook her head. "I don't know. I don't want to harm the innocent child, but I just don't want to see her again." She was greatly disgusted and upset with the oath she had just sworn.Joseph patted the back of her hand. "Listen. I can't just ignore my child. I hope you can understand."Chloe stared at him in a trance. ‘That’s true… From Joseph's angle, regardless of who the mother was, the children would call him father…’When the ambulance was ready to leave, Joseph gave her a peck on her tender cheek. "Call Lucas and ask him to pick you up. I'll find you after I've dealt with this."Ch
The doctor shook his head. "We have to wait until at least the sixteenth week, which is around four months. The patient isn't like an ordinary person. Being pregnant is a huge burden on her. We can only do the amniocentesis at month four at the fastest. If the situation isn't optimistic, we have to wait until month five or six."Joseph frowned deeply and left the doctor’s office. When he was back at the ward, he found Xavia had woken up at some point. Her eyes were red and swollen, casting an image of feebleness."Go home to Ms. Chloe. I'm fine. I'm sorry for losing control tonight.""Why did you deliberately cause such a scene?"Joseph's eyes were extremely dark and gloomy.Trembling, Xavia boldly met his gaze and said agitatedly, "Chloe got the police to investigate for no reason. Joe, I'm a public figure. Reputation is of utmost importance to me. I wanted to protect myself and stop those groundless rumors from tarnishing my innocence. And of course, I wanted to protect my baby!
After a brief pause, Chloe shook her head. "Forget it. I'll call him back when my phone is charged. It's probably nothing urgent.""Okay. Which unit do you stay at?""Fifth. How about you?""Sixth. Hey, our units are next to each other."Chloe slowly widened her eyes. "It really is written in the stars. I thought your university was at Docwood.""Yes, I studied my undergraduate course there, and I'm about to start my postgraduate soon. I chose to study in Aesper."Enlightenment dawned on Chloe. Postgraduate students started their semester around September and it was already August. If he had no plans to stay at the university, he would have to rent a place and must have gotten a unit in Oceanic Residence.They chatted with each other casually and said goodbye when they arrived at their respective units.When Chloe got home, she charged her phone and called Joseph back. "My phone battery died when you called me. I just charged it."Joseph's unique and magnetic voice came to her
Downstairs, Joseph was driving himself, and when Chloe got into the car, she put on her seatbelt. "Did you contact the prison?""We’re scheduled to visit him at two o'clock this afternoon." He tilted his head and looked at her. "Do you like the bags I bought you?""Yes, but why did you buy so many? I can't possibly use them all.""You can just keep them."Chloe replied, "It's a waste to just leave them there. I kept a few that I liked and sold the rest on a secondhand platform.""Okay."Surprisingly, Joseph did not show much of a reaction. He felt that it was unnecessary to be indulgent and change one's bag every day. They were just containers for one to carry things with.After passing a crossroad and the traffic started to disperse, traveling on the large road became much smoother and the car picked up speed.In the meantime, an executive of Fairlight called Joseph and asked about several matters. With his Bluetooth earpiece on, he easily taught his employee how to handle the
Chloe found this very amusing. She uttered slowly, "And yet, you’ve dared to do so."Joseph calmed down. After a pause, he said with composure, "I understand."She stared at his tall back as he walked in front of her. She wondered what he had understood.*The prison where Benjamin was locked up was located in the suburbs.At this time of day, the inmates were having group activities. Everyone wore prison uniforms and were standing out on the field. A prison guard called out Benjamin's inmate number before taking him to the visiting room.Benjamin was bald now, but he had a cunning look about him. "Coco, what are you doing here?" He appeared happy and surprised."I’d like to ask about my mother. Where did she come from? Are my grandparents still alive?"Benjamin's expression changed. He then fixed his intense gaze on Joseph. "Get out of here if you want me to tell you anything. Regardless, I'm your father. You surely can’t bear to watch me spend the rest of my life here, can yo
At the female prison, a prison guard fished out Ava's file. "She was released on bail a while back."Chloe furrowed her brows. "It’s that easy to bail her out?""I don't know either. It was an order from higher up.""When exactly did this happen?" Joseph asked."Early August."Joseph tapped on the table and cracked a profound smile. That was the time he had met Noah at the Johnson Group.Chloe found it strange, but she thought there would be no useful clues to dig out of Ava. At the moment, she needed to find a day to go to the South. What piqued her interest more was what Joseph had said to the prison guard earlier. Why did Benjamin behave himself after that incident?"I told the guard that Benjamin asked us to help him escape from prison."Chloe was rendered speechless.Joseph then changed the topic and promised solemnly, "I'll reconsider what to do with Xavia's child after the delivery. I promise to give you a reply that you'll be satisfied with."For some reason, she want
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