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
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Chloe quickly apologized as she covered her forehead and winced in pain."What are you so engrossed in?" a familiar voice of a young man asked.Looking up, Chloe saw Noah, clad in a checkered shirt and carrying a black backpack, smiling brightly with charming dimples on his cheeks.Feeling downcast, Chloe hung her head and forced a laugh that seemed sadder than tears. "It's nothing."Noah was slightly taller than Chloe. He gently lowered his head to meet her gaze as they talked. "You're clearly bothered by something," he said, his face filled with concern.Feeling the need to share her frustrations, Chloe could not hold back and confided, "Joseph will soon discover that I'm pregnant."Noah's expression changed imperceptibly, and he straightened his back. "What happened?"Chloe explained the whole situation, her voice filled with helplessness. She was truly at a loss and did not know what to do next. On one hand, Joseph might be happy to know he was go
“Appearances can be deceiving. One should never judge a book by its cover. There's one young girl in my office who perfectly exemplifies this. At first glance, she appears petite and adorable. She can’t even open a jar. But behind that facade lies a dark and disturbing side. She’s secretly a cat abuser. Can you believe it?"Emily could not stop gossiping once she started, going on and on without end. However, Chloe had too much on her mind and could not focus. Coincidentally, someone from the office came to see her, so she had to hang up.*In the herbal store of Central Hospital, Frederick was surprised to see Noah arriving alone. "Mr. Noah? What brings you here today?""Dr. Frederick, I've been having trouble sleeping recently. Would you mind doing a check-up on me please?" Noah politely asked while glancing around the room.The waiting area was crowded with other patients."Sure, but you'll have to wait. I have other patients to attend to first," Frederick replied."Of course
Noah's eyes glinted with amusement and his grin widened, showcasing a row of neatly aligned teeth. As Chloe released a long sigh of relief, his spirits inexplicably lifted as well."But… Why did you help me?" Chloe recalled Emily's words and her mind went blank. She blurted out straightforwardly, "Joseph says you have feelings for me, which I find hard to believe. But I just can't comprehend why you’d go to such lengths to help me in such a situation."Caught off guard by this question, Noah froze momentarily, leaving an awkward silence in the air. Chloe tightened her grip on the bag of herbs, her disbelief evident as she gazed at Noah.'Could it be true? Was Joseph right about Noah's feelings for me? But that doesn't make sense! We rarely see each other!'"I actually didn't want to say this, but…" Noah appeared embarrassed as he struggled to find the right words, seemingly confirming that he did have feelings for her. However, his tone suddenly shifted."I have a bad habit. I enj