Lucas tried his best to keep up with Joseph as the latter walked swiftly. When they were almost at the door, his phone rang.He found that it was a call from Emily, so he stopped and said respectfully, "Sir, I have to answer a call. Tell me if there's anything I can do for you. I'll be at the door." Joseph ignored Lucas and pushed open the door, fixing his gaze on Chloe.She was sitting before the office desk, reading the datasheet seriously with a tight crease between her charming brows. With her pretty cheeks and small but tall nose bridge that formed a perfect arch, she was the perfect example of solemnity.As he looked downward, he noticed her soft red lips and yearned to kiss her.Joseph’s eyes turned hazy. She seemed to have become prettier though they had only been separated for a few hours. She was not heartless after all and had come to him of her own initiative. Hearing the noise, Chloe looked up. "Are you done with your work?""Mm-hmm."He was, in fact, not done. I
Joseph fell into a dilemma. "We don't have any evidence to prove this." He had been dating Xavia for so many years, so he was fully aware of her social and friend circles. Previously, he had his underlings investigate her, but there was nothing suspicious about her except those humiliating love affairs she had during her younger days."A woman's instinct is sometimes more accurate than proof." Chloe flared up in a rage. She felt that Joseph was defending her, so she became stubborn. She had now forgotten why she had come here in the first place. Knock, knock, knock.Someone's knocking interrupted their argument."Come in."Lucas entered the office. He glanced at Chloe before saying to Joseph in slight embarrassment, "Sir, was I interrupting something?" "Just tell me what's wrong." "Umm... I’d like to ask for the rest of the day off."Joseph looked up and scrutinized Lucas with his slender eyes. "Didn't you just get back from a long vacation a few days ago? What do you plan
Chloe glanced at Xavia coldly but said calmly, "Let's ignore her.""But I get so mad whenever I see her." Emily rubbed her fists together, eager to beat Xavia up."It's best to avoid trouble. I don't want to argue with her now. It's meaningless.”It was already the final month. She did not have to create trouble for herself and give Xavia a chance to make use of it."Fine, I'll listen to you." Emily sighed with disappointment."Madam, I advise you not to buy too many clothes for the newborn. They grow up pretty fast. The clothes that fit them may no longer fit them after two months,” the salesperson advised Xavia out of responsibility. "For example, these clothes are quite pretty, and they come in blue and green. You just need to pick one. If you feel conflicted, you can call the baby’s father and ask him about it."Xavia touched the little clothes and inadvertently glanced out of the store. "You're right. Let me ask him about it."Hearing this, Chloe stopped as she was just abo
Emily raised her cup and took a sip of lemon juice, her mind filled with disbelief. "Damn it! That blind date at the resort was an absolute disaster. Rob and the matchmaker exchanged a few words, insinuating that Lucas was my lover. Then, the matchmaker had the audacity to inform my parents.“They pressured me into inviting Lucas over so that they could scrutinize and assess him. And I figured it’d be wiser to shift the dynamics and just ask Lucas for a favor. That way, I can bid farewell to these dreadful blind dates and steer clear of the ensuing troubles."Chloe interjected, her voice laced with reason. "But your parents aren't particularly fond of Lucas. They’ve met him once and were far from impressed.""Yeah, they didn't like him. But if they keep forcing my hand, I'll just tell them it's a done deal," Emily replied.Her parents had set their sights on a son-in-law with a hefty salary and a prestigious government job—requirements that were contradictory. Given Emily’s average
Joseph's gaze fixed on Chloe with profound intensity, sparing any unnecessary explanations. "Victor will be here shortly. By now, he lacks the audacity to fabricate lies."Ten minutes later, Victor entered, clutching a plastic bag. His face bore wounds, and weariness exuded from him as if he had endured a rough time over the past few days."M-Mr. Joseph..." Victor stuttered.Joseph did not even raise his eyes, calmly slicing through the steak on his plate. "Where are the recorders?""Here." Victor emptied the entire contents of the plastic bag onto the table, revealing a minimum of thirty recording devices that closely resembled the one Hazel had brought that day.Chloe furrowed her brows deeply, selecting one of the recorders to listen to. She pressed the play button, only to be greeted by static noise. She patiently continued listening, but the static persisted for three minutes without any additional content.Undeterred, she picked up another recorder. Emily joined in the insp
After finishing dinner, Chloe made her way back to Oceanic Residence. Upon discovering the close proximity of Noah's and Chloe's units, Joseph's handsome face clouded over, and he immediately contacted a moving company.Upon arriving home, Chloe went straight to bed and, in a drowsy state, heard some commotion outside. Too fatigued to open her eyes, she assumed it was Joseph causing a disturbance and chose to disregard it.While the move was underway, Joseph stumbled upon a collection of herbal blends neatly packaged in heatable, ready-for-consumption bags. The outer packaging lacked labels except for the name “Central Hospital.” He squinted his eyes and picked up a bag, giving it a slight shake.Without delay, he reached out to the herbalist. "My wife received some herbal blends for menstrual regulation from the hospital. Can you have them tested?"When it came to herbal remedies, Joseph placed his trust solely in the individuals he sought out.*In a school located in Aesper, t
Vanya refused to back down, saying, "Going abroad is convenient. You have to trust Duskfall’s influence.""Duskfall has nothing to do with me. As I mentioned before, my decisions are based solely on my own interests.” Noah smirked, dismissing her suggestion. "Besides, you haven't proven yourself worthy of my trust."Vanya stared at him, her expression masking her true thoughts. "You’ve surprised me," she said. She had initially pegged Noah as just another pampered rich kid, but she now realized he possessed cunning and a hidden depth for manipulation.She had attempted to ascertain if Eustace was truly in Noah's possession, but her efforts proved inconclusive. Not only that, Noah appeared to be well-informed about Xavia's actions toward Eustace. He had gathered a wealth of information and orchestrated everything from the shadows. Upon reflection, it became evident that dealing with this young man was no less challenging than dealing with Joseph."All right, you can choose the locat
The old herbalist, busy examining a patient, glanced at his assistant and replied, "We'll handle it when we're less busy in the afternoon."Having previously worked at the herb store in Central Hospital during his younger days, the doctor knew that the hospital prescribed only a limited number of medications for regulating menstrual disorders. The prescriptions were likely the same ones that he had left behind and had not changed much since then. There was no need to rush the examination.Upon hearing this, the assistant moved on to other tasks.*After tidying up, Chloe opened the wardrobe and found that Joseph had not completely emptied it. He had left behind her daily necessities and a few articles of clothing.The weather outside matched the somber atmosphere, with fallen leaves scattered around the neighborhood, creating a sense of desolation and loneliness. A chilly gust of wind seeped into the room, causing Chloe to shiver involuntarily. She reached out to close the window
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