Without waiting for Joseph’s reply, Noah turned around to catch up with Chloe. Before leaving, he glanced at Xavia, his gaze filled with intense warning. Xavia instinctively turned her head away, refusing to meet his eyes.Joseph watched helplessly as the young man and woman walked away together. Anger surged within him, and he vented his frustration by assaulting the armrest next to him, causing his palms to tear up.Xavia took a few steps toward him, feigning concern. "You should go after Ms. Chloe. I'll be fine on my own.""Are you really fine?" Joseph instantly saw through her intentions, his gaze piercing and perceptive. "You orchestrated this drama and called me over to witness it, didn't you?""How could you think that of me... I had no idea Noah would come." Xavia felt unjustly treated, tears glistening in her eyes. That last bit was true, the encounter with Noah was unexpected."Enough. I don't want to hear any more of this.""Joe, I need to go to the hospital, but I don
At the Johnson villa, Chloe carefully retrieved the freshly washed clothes from the washing machine and hung them methodically on the balcony. The gentle glow of the sun bathed her in warmth, casting her as a virtuous wife attending to her household duties while eagerly awaiting her husband's return. It was a warm and picturesque scene.Catching sight of her, Joseph's heart skipped a beat. It had been a while since he had witnessed such a scene. He turned off the engine, stepped out of the car, and made his way into the yard.Chloe, who had just finished washing an apple and was about to take a bite, noticed the sudden and unexpected arrival. Her heart raced, and she hastily put down the apple and darted upstairs to change. The nightgown she had on at the moment revealed too much of her figure."Stay right where you are!" Joseph's deep voice resonated, demanding her attention.Despite his command, Chloe panicked and hurriedly made her way upstairs. But with his long strides, Joseph
"Let's not discuss this right now." Joseph naturally did not want it to be like this either. Recognizing that the current situation could not be easily resolved, he chose not to dwell and decided to set it aside for the moment. He held Chloe's hand and led her to the sofa, asking, "Were you serious earlier?""What?""Asking me to choose between Xavia's child and you."Chloe stared into his deep eyes and remained resolute in her answer. "Yes.""Why?""I have no space in my heart for unrelated parties."She had tried but ultimately failed. If this child had been conceived before Joseph was with her, she would not feel such disgust. Unfortunately, the child was conceived during their marriage. Although it was a mistake that occurred unintentionally, why should she take responsibility for a child conceived in such an unexpected manner? She could not comprehend his actions, nor did she agree with them. Even a saint would not be capable of enduring such a thing.Joseph had not anticip
After dealing with Natalie in the afternoon, Noah went to the swimming pool too. That little brat sure knew how to keep busy.*Chloe grabbed the car keys and stepped outside, only to find Joseph glaring at her coldly. Feeling puzzled, she asked, "What's the matter?""Those candies on the table. Who gave them to you?""Noah.""Don't accept anything from him. He has ulterior motives.""Fine, then don't keep Xavia's child." With the matter laid out, Chloe's indifference was evident in her words. She would say whatever pleased her, regardless of the consequences."Come on," Joseph said, abruptly ending the conversation out of guilt.Chloe muttered under her breath, expressing her discontent, "Rotten scumbag."Joseph had no retort and reluctantly fell into silence.Chloe remained fully focused and composed as she drove. When someone overtook her, she handled the situation calmly. Joseph felt relieved. His dumbo was not the typical female driver.Suddenly, the car in front came t
Joseph felt troubled. "She had something to tell me about you, so I agreed to give her a ride.""About me?""About your pregnancy."Chloe's expression darkened as she turned to look at Xavia. "How did you find out about my pregnancy?""I saw your belly showing signs of protrusion when we were underwater at the pool yesterday.” Xavia shrugged."Is that so?" Chloe sneered. "Normally, if someone can't swim, they wouldn’t be able to open their eyes underwater."Xavia shrugged and stated, "I don't know how to swim, and Joe knows that. What good is there for me to deceive you?""Xavia really can’t swim." Joseph nodded, addressing the matter at hand.In the past, Xavia had never participated in any water-related activities. There was even an incident where she fell off a boat and almost drowned.Chloe snorted sarcastically. "Yeah, right, You just seem to know everything, don't you?"‘He offered no defense and instead chose to side with Xavia. Ahh, the charm of an ex. How precious,’
Xavia could not contain her cry of pain as a sharp tearing sensation shot through her scalp. Fear gripped her as she said in desperation, "If you dare lay a finger on me, I'll get Duskfall to kill you!"The next moment, a resounding sound reverberated through the air as a powerful slap struck Xavia's face. The strength behind a man's strike was vastly different from that of a woman's. While the slap from Chloe the previous day had been painful, it was within her tolerance levels. However, the force of Noah's slap left her reeling, her face throbbing as if her skin had been torn apart.Xavia's chest heaved uncontrollably. The intense pain twisted her features and she trembled with a mixture of anger and agony."You hit me… How dare you!" She seethed with fury, her anger overpowering her as she lunged toward Noah, ready to strike back.Noah remained calm and composed, not bothered to evade her oncoming attack. Seizing the moment, he firmly grasped her hair once more and delivered ano
Tyson stood there in shock, his face filled with astonishment. He blurted out, "Pregnant? So soon?"Chloe just had an abortion a little while ago. Only a month or two months had passed since then, so how was she pregnant again? How was that possible?'Joseph could be forgiven as he had no clue, but how could Chloe not know how to cherish herself as a woman? After all, her health should come first no matter what.Frowning, Joseph asked, "What do you mean by 'so soon?’”"You don't know?" Tyson spewed, "How many months has it been?""Four," Joseph replied.Drawing upon his years of investigative experience, things started to make sense in Tyson's mind. It seemed that Chloe did go through with the abortion and instead told Joseph that the child in her womb was his.'My goodness… Young people nowadays are bold. They're full of lies.'"Do you know something?" Joseph's gaze fixed upon Tyson, his eyes sharp and penetrating. Though his expression remained devoid of emotion, his stare he
Otto leaned slovenly against the reception desk, his cunning eyes narrowing as he locked his gaze on Chloe."Grubby paws? She should be happy that someone as handsome as me is willing to touch her," he remarked."I don't care if you're handsome or ugly. The only thing I see is your hands attempting to touch my employee, unsolicited," Chloe responded coldly, positioning herself protectively in front of the young receptionist.Otto shrugged nonchalantly. "Calm down. I came to discuss business with you.""I won't collaborate with someone like you. Leave, now," Chloe declared."Fine. I wanted to approach this diplomatically, but if you refuse to show me respect, I'll go straight to the point then," Otto said with a bold grin.A sense of foreboding washed over Chloe, causing her nerves to tighten.Otto placed a business agreement in front of her and chuckled arrogantly. "I've acquired the land you're currently standing on."Chloe quickly scanned through the agreement, her eyes widen
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