When Joseph noticed the resoluteness in Chloe's eyes, his words got stuck in his throat.'Oh, Joseph. Why did you end a good marriage so badly… I made up my mind to talk things out with her, so why are we falling out again?' he thought.Chloe did not wish to see Joseph, so she took Noah's hand and left with him. Joseph was frustrated as he stared at them walking away. Lucas got out of the car and said, "Sir, we should go. Vince is waiting for you.""Mm,” Joseph replied noncommittally. He frowned and got into the car. He had to deal with business first. After he was done, he would look for Chloe again.Based on the GPS, Lucas drove out of the city and rushed toward the suburbs. "Sir, I read a lot of gossip about you on the Internet."Joseph became baffled. He was not a star, so why was there gossip about him?Lucas smiled dryly. "I found it strange and thought it was part of someone's scheme, so I looked into it. My guess was right..."Joseph took out his phone, opened up the t
Cyrus accepted the cup, took a sip, and put it down. "Joseph apprehended Vanya when she tried to kill Chloe for you."Xavia looked up in shock. "Didn't she run away into the mountains?""Yes, she did, but she failed to escape."Xavia’s voice went up an octave. "Will she expose us?"Cyrus' hand stiffened. He then turned and stared at her. Xavia became nervous under his gaze. She quickly changed her statement. "I didn't mean it that way, sir... It’s just that Joe’s attitude toward me has taken a drastic turn recently. If an accident happens now, all our efforts will be futile."Cyrus was currently in his forties and his white suit made him look sprightly. His bright and spirited demeanor marked him as a refined teacher. A smile slowly dawned upon his face, but it was cold and unreadable, sending chills down Xavia's spine."Are you saying that Joseph has fallen in love with you?" "I'm not sure about that... He has been treating me much better than before. He even bought me a car."
Joseph's expression turned icy. "Get me the phone."*Noah and Chloe were at a food alley near his school. They were hashing out future entrepreneurial plans at Estre for the next few years.Chloe listened attentively and was interested in all he had to say. She felt him an excellent business partner, and based on her current understanding of him, he was rich, responsible, and had a strong background. All these attributes were rare to find in one person.This was her first time establishing her own business and she felt inexperienced and not very confident. She did not want to become a burden to others. "That's all I can think of at the moment. Do you have any good ideas?" Noah looked at Chloe tenderly.Chloe was about to say something when his phone rang. She smiled and said, "Go ahead and answer it."Noah went to a corner to answer the call. He put his phone to his ear. "Grandpa? I'm in a business discussion … You're back? Okay, I’ll be home in a bit… But I can't leave now, G
Desmond’s gray brows furrowed as he sighed and did not deny this. "She's Joseph's wife.""Grandpa, they divorced a long time ago. It's the twenty-first century now. What's wrong with me trying to gain the heart of the woman I like?" Although Noah did not want Chloe to return to the Sullivan family with Joseph's child, he could not do anything to wrong her."Her disgrace makes it hard for her to be a part of Sullivans. As your grandfather I need to consider certain things.”Noah was the grandson of Desmond's friend, and that friend had entrusted Noah to him more than ten years ago. Desmond felt responsible for looking after Noah. Marriage was a big issue, and he could not let Noah take the wrong path out of ignorance. As an elder, he admitted that he did not hate Chloe. He pitied her, but it was impossible for her to marry Noah.Noah looked at Desmond and asked seriously, "If Chloe was your granddaughter, will you still think of her as a disgrace?" Desmond was taken aback. Reconsi
Chloe thought that he was dissatisfied, so she pouted and offered, "I’ll post a public apology on the Internet and admit that this is all my fault given our past relationship. And none of it has nothing to do with you or Xavia. I'm just reaping what I’ve sown. Will that be enough?"She would do anything as long as he was willing to let her go. Even if she had to say that she had cheated on him, she would do it. She was too exhausted to continue arguing with him over what was right. She was ready to accept her loss in this battle.A coldness enveloped Joseph. For the first time, he realized that a gentle woman like Chloe was capable of such harsh words. She could not be bothered to struggle anymore. He closed his eyes briefly before grasping her chin and forcing her to look at him."So you're okay with ruining your public image just to break up with me?" he questioned.Chloe rolled her eyes and laughed bitterly. "No one wishes to slander themselves. I’ve just decided to go with it s
"Just go and think about my offer. I'm willing to cooperate."Before Joseph could react, Chloe went to the bedroom and crawled into bed. Her breathing soon evened out as if she had fallen asleep. Joseph stood at the doorway and watched her rising and falling back for a long time. He wanted to tell her that he never intended to push her away. He had been angry with her but he never intended to harm her. Unexpectedly, Chloe told him that his neverending suspicion and the choices he made had chiseled away her feelings until there was nothing left.Love was selfish and was a game meant for only two people.*Samuel took on a case for the Whitman Group, so he came to the villa to discuss the details with Joseph. As they spoke, he sensed that his friend was not himself. As he gazed at Joseph, he sincerely hoped to help resolve the situation and asked Joseph about his woes. He found that he had no remedy for the situation as he did not understand love. He then decided to call on Nathan,
The following day, the three men left the house one after another until Chloe was the only one left in the spacious house. She had expected to be confined to the room once again, but to her surprise, she was given the freedom to move around so long as she allowed the bodyguards to accompany her. She could not comprehend Joseph's sudden change in behavior and did not understand why he was acting so differently. Now, she was allowed to use her phone and even had a video chat with Emily for a while."How about I come to visit you? I'm on vacation and have nothing to do."Chloe hesitated, "You want to come to the villa?""Yeah. It must be boring for you to be all alone. It’d be kind of awkward to meet outside with all those bodyguards trailing behind us. If we stroll around town with all those guards protecting us, people might think we're the daughters of some mafia boss.”"Okay, do come over then." Chloe calculated the time, estimating that Joseph would not be back for at least ano
Emily was stunned, and she unconsciously reached up to rub her ears."What did you say?"Was Joseph truly this generous?"If you're a fan of Master Zaman, you can have them all. They're just taking up space here." Joseph said, turning to address Lucas who stood behind him. "Help her move the artwork in the basement."Lucas nodded and proceeded toward the basement to move the pieces.Joseph put on his shoes at the entrance and turned his gaze toward the bewildered Emily. He paused for a moment and continued, "I acted impulsively at the hospital last week.”After some time, Emily realized that Joseph was apologizing to her. Feeling guilty about taking the statue without permission, she followed suit and accepted his apology. "It’s fine, I accept your apology..."Joseph's deep eyes shifted toward the direction of the bedroom. "Spend more time with Chloe when you have the chance. I’m sure she gets bored being here alone.”Emily did not like hearing this. "Why don't you set her free t
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