The man had no intention of letting the director go.As the director attempted to flee, the man grabbed him by the coat, covered his mouth, and dragged him into the fire escape. Encumbered by age and frailty, the director could not contend with the man's strength and was mercilessly dragged to the rooftop. Following a moment of shock and a piercing scream, the director crashed heavily to the ground and died.Later that evening, an announcement circulated, declaring that the director had leaped from the building due to the immense pressure of life. Spencer read the announcement, feeling fear, self-blame, and unease flooding him. ‘Will I be the next to die? Should I confess to Joseph? Maybe he'll forgive me and let me go… No, no, it can’t possibly be my turn. I’ve always been obedient. My wife and children are still in their hands… I can’t back down.’Three days later, Chloe returned to the country. Upon touchdown, she texted Joseph.[The plane has landed and I’ll be out in about t
Within the Sullivan Estate, Natalie was adorned in an elaborate princess gown and impeccable makeup as she sat composedly before Desmond. She chose her words carefully, ensuring the conversation remained on appropriate topics.Desmond was satisfied with her. If the Walkers and Sullivans were to form an alliance, he would accept it. The two children were of similar age and would be well-matched among their peers. He currently could not find a more suitable candidate than Natalie."Sir, Mr. Noah has returned," the butler whispered in Desmond's ear."Okay, send him in."Noah looked at the people before him, a gentle smile on his face as always. "I’m sorry I’m late. I just got back from my flight. Thank you for waiting.""No problem," Oscar Walker replied with a smile. "We arrived not long ago ourselves. This is my daughter, Natalie.""Hello," Natalie greeted Noah politely as she boldly assessed him with her eyes. Unlike those playboys, he had a clean look and a good vibe.Noah nodd
Chloe's heart melted. "Turn off the lights," she said."Okay," Joseph got up and flipped the switch, throwing the room into darkness. As he advanced on her, Chloe whimpered softly, "Be gentle..."Droplets of sweat trickled down Joseph's forehead, sliding down his face, and finally landing on Chloe's collarbone. His voice was hoarse and filled with desire as he replied, "Okay."Men were creatures of desire in bed, driven only by their instincts, especially after consuming alcohol.Joseph failed to notice anything unusual. He did try to be gentle, but even a light touch kindled a passionate flame within him, not to mention that they had been separated for nearly a month. They indulged in their desire for a long time, and it was not until the bed sheets were soaked that they were finally depleted of their strength and drifted off to sleep.The next day, Chloe woke up feeling drained. Joseph felt distressed upon seeing her and insisted she took a few days off to rest, and she whol
Chloe ignored him and continued brushing her teeth, feeling guilty inside.*When Vanya received a call from Spencer, she was stunned."Are you sure?" "Yes, Ms. Xavia's baby carries chromosomal defects. They may experience stunted growth."Vanya was speechless. This would mean that the child may be intellectually challenged."What about Chloe's baby? Is that baby okay?""Ms. Chloe's baby is fine, just slightly undernourished.""You know what to do, right?" Vanya threatened."Yes, yes…" Spencer trembled with fear and his voice quivered. "I'll keep it a secret and not disclose this information to anyone.""Attaboy," praised Vanya."May I see my wife and kid?""Don't push your luck. Once Harold is dead, I'll set them free."Spencer gritted his teeth and fell silent. Upon learning that her child might have an intellectual disability, Xavia froze in disbelief. "How could I, someone with such high intelligence, produce an intellectually challenged child? Those incompetent doc
Lucas was speechless as Chloe had a point. "All right. Don't worry about us," she said lightly before walking into the office with the folder. Joseph was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window when she entered. He turned to look at her and said, "Right on time."Feigning composure, she handed him the folder. "Go ahead. Open it and take a look."Joseph’s jaw clenched tightly as he pulled out the report. In just one glance, he knew the answer. His eyebrows furrowed deeply, and then he relaxed them. 'Well, it's time to play by ear.'Beside him, Chloe tiptoed to catch a glimpse of the report’s contents.[DNA match rate: 99.9%, indicating a blood relationship.]As if a string in her mind suddenly snapped, Chloe's heart was gripped with excruciating pain, rendering her incapable of rational thought. Although she had mentally prepared herself for this, the stark reality laid out before her was still hard to swallow.Her footsteps became unsteady and she tottered. The composure she
A flicker of sadness appeared in Xavia's eyes. She remained silent, merely nodding before turning away, consumed by a sense of despair. As she walked to the doorway, she bumped into the corner of a table, causing her to bend over in pain and clutch her stomach. Seeing this, Joseph quickly approached her and asked, "Are you okay? Should I take you to the hospital?""I'm fine." Xavia turned back to glance at Chloe, saying empathically, "You and Ms. Chloe should talk. I'll come to see you another time.""Okay," Joseph said while instructing Lucas to take Xavia home. Lucas pressed his lips together, reluctant to comply but refrained from saying anything. He stole a glance at Chloe, whose eyes were red and lips were tightly pursed. Chloe did not want to appear a failure in front of Xavia, so she maintained a straight posture, struggling to contain her emotions. As he watched this unfold, Lucas felt a pang of discomfort."Thank you, Joe. I'm sorry for all the trouble. I'll be more car
A wave of relief washed over Chloe as the message was sent. From now on, she did not have to compromise or accept that child. And she would not have to see Xavia anymore. She yearned to leave behind this unhealthy relationship and pursue a normal life.Curling up on the couch, she gazed out the window at the soaring birds in the sky, longing for the same sense of freedom. In the past, when the Johnsons had oppressed her, her greatest dream was to earn enough money to travel across the country. But now that she had the money, she was carrying a child…Life was just never perfect.Chloe's mind was in turmoil, yet oddly clear at the same time. She sat quietly for a while before calling Emily to assure her that she was safe."What?! You broke up with Joseph?!" Emily's voice boomed through the phone, resonating in Chloe's ears."Yes, and lower your voice. My ear is ringing," Chloe replied."Sorry, I was just really surprised," Emily apologized, "You initiated the breakup?""Yes. Afte
Joseph's face darkened. He gripped his pen so hard that it snapped in half. He found it difficult to believe that this was happening. Thinking back to Chloe's silent demeanor from a few hours ago, he realized she had been planning to break up with him since then. No, maybe even earlier than that.As this thought coursed through his mind, his countenance grew even darker and the fury swirling within his chest pierced him like a thousand sharp blades.Lucas perceptively sensed the changes in Joseph's emotions. He carefully approached him and asked, "Sir, would you like to continue the discussion?""Please give us a chance, Mr. Joseph. Having one more friend means having one more source of strength.""If Brairlake hadn't overstepped, we wouldn't be troubling you with this."The business partners thought they had a chance and expressed their sincerity one after another. Little did they know that their voices irritated Joseph even more. “Get out!”Joseph's sudden outburst reverber