Chloe's gaze lowered, torn between the desire to confide in Joseph and the fear of his potential anger. She knew from past experiences that even innocent encounters with Icarus would infuriate him. Now, with those distasteful photos circulating online, the thought of his reaction terrified her, and she could not bear to imagine it.Nevertheless, she summoned a delicate smile and assured him, "I'm fine, really. Let's just go ahead as planned."He looked at her seriously and said in a deep voice, "All right then."Clasping her hand with his, they strolled toward the parking area. As their fingers intertwined, he could not help but notice how small and cold her hand felt compared to his. A frown appeared on his face as he tightened his grip, allowing a comforting warmth to flow from his palm to hers, gradually thawing her icy fingers.Joseph had made an appointment at the most prestigious bridal store in Aesper. The store manager was aware of their visit and had rescheduled all other
Joseph firmly grasped her shoulders as he raised his eyebrows. "What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I doubt you when it was just a baseless claim?"Chloe was stunned, thrown off by his reaction.Joseph continued, "I've already instructed for those articles to be taken down.""Oh, that’s what you're talking about…""Of course," he replied, his face growing stern. "Wait... Is there something else you haven't told me?"Chloe shook her head. "No, no!"Joseph narrowed his eyes. He sensed that she was hiding something, yet she kept her lips sealed. It seemed like he had pampered her too much lately, and she had started lying again. He was infuriated, but he refrained from pressing further for the time being. He knew there would be time to address this later, perhaps after dinner.They had agreed that while spending time together, they would visit the family home and have meals with Harold. As they passed by a mall, Chloe remembered Harold mentioning a newly released traditi
Chloe froze for a moment and then hastily changed the subject. "Grandpa, I bought you your favorite pastry.""You're the best, my sweet. That brat has never bothered to get me anything," Harold said."Yeah, I've never gotten you pastries. I merely took care of the mess in the Whitman Group that was worth over 100 thousand dollars," Joseph remarked casually as he descended the stairs.He had changed into his home outfit. "Taking care of me and doing business are two completely different things. Don't get them mixed up," Harold retorted."All right then, from now on, I'll stop taking care of the Whitman Group's affairs and will focus solely on buying pastries for you," Joseph replied. He was dressed in a navy blue silk pajama that softened his edges, making him more approachable. "Shut it. Don't go saying things that’ll upset me." Chloe patted Harold's shoulder and said, "Everyone has their expertise. Jojo's intelligent and a natural leader in the business world. Asking him to
After enduring a bout of nausea in the restroom, Chloe felt a bit better and decided to step out. But as she pushed open the door, Joseph was standing right outside, his eyes dark and swarming with a myriad of emotions."I saw the photos," he said.Chloe stood there in a daze, and then she saw Joseph holding her phone tightly in his hand."I can explain. It’s not what you think. Icarus and I are not—""You've disappointed me greatly," Joseph interrupted her, "I asked you many times today, giving you plenty of opportunities to tell me, yet you didn't say a word."'Am I truly that undeserving of her trust? Does she really prefer to carry this burden alone or seek Tyson's help rather than turning to me?'As she heard his words, her heart tightened in her throat. Believing he was angry, she said, "Please believe me. Nothing happened between Icarus and me that day. They forced me to take off my clothes. If you don't believe me, I can call Icarus right now to prove it."“Enough!" Jose
Chloe's hand froze in mid-air, and after a brief pause, she slowly lowered it."How long do I have to wait?"“About an hour.”"Okay."She let out a long sigh and walked to the window, opening it to take in the view of the backyard. Toto had been brought home, and at that moment, Toto was joyfully playing with Oreo.Suddenly, a thought struck Chloe. Since the time Xavia sent Oreo here, she had never bothered to visit or show any concern for the dog. The few times she came here were just to cause her trouble. This behavior led Chloe to suspect that even sending Oreo was part of Xavia's calculated scheme.*On the highway from Cloude to Aesper.Sitting in a van, Vanya spoke respectfully as she reported to the person on the other end. Ten minutes later, she ended the call. The driver peered at the license plate of the car in front of them and asked, “Hey Van, up ahead. Doesn’t this car belong to the guy who ruined Xavia's plan?"Vanya leaned forward, trying to see inside the car,
Vanya was instantly petrified, unable to believe her eyes.'Gabriel is with Joseph? This isn't good.'Despite the chance to deal with Gabriel, Vanya knew she could not afford to confront Joseph at this moment. S had warned her that Joseph had initiated an investigation into their activities, making it a difficult time for any direct confrontation.Gritting her teeth, she ordered, "Retreat!"Without delay, the subordinate stepped on it, the vehicle barely holding together after the collision. Inside, Vanya felt the lingering effects of the impact. Her head throbbed, and she was overcome by dizziness and nausea.Unable to contain her frustration, she growled, "Stop these damn modifications!"Their van had already been professionally modified for comfort and space, even though its outward appearance looked ordinary and aged. Yet, this fool had gone and modified it further, wasting all the good setups.Gabriel watched the departing van and commented, "They just left like that? I hat
Their intimate connection lasted for a long moment with them moving from the bean bag to the bed. Only when the atmosphere around them was fully charged with their desire did Chloe weakly push Joseph away."Where have you been all day?""I went to Cloude with Tyson. We found the guy who leaked your photos. All of them have been destroyed," Joseph replied.Chloe was stunned. "Who was it?""He's with that masked woman, but he's just a low-ranking lackey who doesn't know much."Pressing her lips together tightly, Chloe fixed her gaze on him and asked, "Why did you help me if you were mad at me?""Are those two things contradictory?" Joseph shot back. "Then why did you lock me in?" she asked, her frown deepening."I locked you up so that you could reflect on your mistakes. When faced with a problem, why didn't you tell me immediately? As your husband, it's my responsibility to help you overcome any difficulties and protect you," Joseph said with a displeased squint. "You not only
Emily held back the urge to roll her eyes and said, "I have no intentions of becoming a stay-at-home mom, even in the future, so let's not waste each other's time."Rob smirked and consoled her, "Don't worry. I won't mind if you become an old hag. It's the inevitable path for women. All of you turn ugly as you age."Offering Rob a fake smile, Chloe said, "Do you really think you're being considerate?""Am I not?" Rob widened his mouth in surprise. "Which man wouldn’t like a young and pretty woman? But I can control myself. It's a matter of loyalty to the family.""No need for that. I make over six and a half grand a month, with additional bonuses at every month-end. My annual income amounts to 78 thousand dollars. I won't give up my job, and I don't need anyone to support me. Rob, let's end our date here."Emily could not bear it any longer and had no desire to continue chatting with him. If it were not for her mother and Rob’s parents knowing each other, she would have taught him