Eustace remained silent for what felt like an eternity, suspending Xavia in a state of unease. She cautiously called out to him once more, her voice filled with uncertainty, "Eustace, are you there?""What do you want?""I want to talk to you. Can we meet? Do you have time to meet up?" Xavia felt a glimmer of hope upon hearing his reply."Are you coming to kill me again?""No, you've misunderstood me... I just want a chance to explain everything properly. I was coerced into it..." Xavia pretended to choke up, inserting a hint of desperation and sorrow into her voice."Are you being forced to climb into Joseph's bed too?""Umm..." Xavia's sobbing intensified as she struggled to find the right words. "Please. Let's not discuss this over the phone. I’m begging you to hear me out in person. I'll explain everything—the whole story and its cause and effect.""I'll consider it."Xavia grew impatient. It used to be him who longed for her attention. He was her devoted follower. But now,
Chloe remained silent. She was unsure if Joseph had deliberately planned this and lacked any evidence to support her doubts. After finishing the whole ice cream, her teeth ached from the cold. Noticing her discomfort, Joseph thoughtfully handed her a thermos cup filled with warm water. She eagerly drank more than half of it, finding relief from the discomfort in her mouth.After returning to the villa, Joseph lingered for a short while before hurrying off to the office. Chloe did not go upstairs to take a nap. She sat on the sofa in the living room and waited anxiously. Patrick arrived just as the clock on the wall struck one. Her eyebrows went up as a visible expression of joy dawned on her face. "Patrick!"He smiled warmly and waved in response. Chloe wasted no time and followed him out of the villa. As they entered the yard, the bodyguards made no attempt to intervene, allowing Chloe to calmly get into the car Patrick had arranged.Patrick stood by the car and held the door ope
After Eustace left, Xavia stood in the courtyard and shivered from the cold. Refusing to let him have his way, she tightened her collar and followed after him.Harold was standing inside the room next door when Xavia passed by. She caught a glimpse of him and felt a sense of familiarity. Curiosity got the better of her and she halted her steps. She gently pushed the door open to take a closer look, but before she could see clearly, Harold raised his cane and swung it toward her.Xavia narrowly dodged the hit, but her movements were restricted due to her pregnancy and she got hit on the arm. She let out a sharp scream of pain and was left stunned when she fixed her gaze on Harold. ‘What?! How was this decrepit thing still alive?!'"That child in your womb isn't Joseph's! How dare you deceive all of us, you vile witch!" He had sensed that something was amiss long ago but had not managed to find any evidence. However, everything was now crystal clear. Xavia had actively sowed disco
Chloe anxiously recounted the events to Joseph. "I asked the staff, and they said there are no surveillance cameras inside to protect their customer’s privacy. Hurry up and call the police. I'll stay with Grandpa."Joseph's expression was grim as he said, "I already called the police. They went to the restaurant to secure the crime scene and gather evidence. Did you notice anyone acting suspiciously?""No..." Chloe replied."Why didn't you tell me that you were meeting him?" Joseph asked. "I was worried that you wouldn't agree. Besides, you didn't tell me that he's still alive." Joseph glanced at Amelia and pulled Chloe aside. Staring at her, he said in a serious tone, "I just don't want you to get into a dangerous situation. That's why I didn't tell you about it."He did not want her to get entangled in the same situation as he was, where dangers lurked around every corner.Chloe smirked. "You just don't trust me, do you?"Joseph was stumped. He now understood why people alw
Nathan could not believe it either and asked, "Are you sure you didn't mistake her for someone else...?"After all, Chloe was not that kind of person. But on the flip side, Amelia had no reason to lie.Amelia looked at Nathan in disbelief and said, "You don't trust me?""It's not that. How could I not trust you? I just thought you might’ve been working too hard lately and your eyes might have played tricks on you.""Providing false testimony is against the law," Joseph stated, his gaze cool and his voice firm.Knowing that Nathan supported her, Amelia refused to back down and responded with equal determination, "Mr. Joseph, your grandfather is your family while Ms. Chloe is your ex-wife. I understand that it isn’t easy for you to handle such a situation emotionally, but I spoke up because of the years of friendship between you and Nathan. I revealed everything I knew to help. Please don't take offense. I’ll swear on my life that everything I said is true.As Chloe listened, her a
Chloe had no energy to deal with Jonathan and Octavia. She wiped away the tears from her face and quietly entered the hospital ward, sitting quietly by Harold's side.Octavia became even angrier when Chloe ignored her. She grabbed Chloe by the collar and shook her forcefully. "Why are you pretending not to hear me when I'm talking to you?!“Don't think you can avoid responsibility by ignoring us. We've heard what the police said. You attempted to kill Dad, and we're here today to make you turn yourself in," Jonathan chimed in, his tone full of disgust and hatred.Both of them were convinced that Chloe was the culprit behind what happened to Harold. After all, even the police considered her the prime suspect. They simply could not fathom why Joseph continued to protect her. It was as if he was blinded by something, making him unable to see who his real family was."That's enough!" Joseph roared, his gaze sharp as a knife. "If you want to argue, do it outside. Don't cause trouble her
Joseph stood up to pour a glass of water while keeping his back to Octavia. "If you want to start a business, go ahead and do it," he said calmly.Harold had instructed him to help Octavia wherever possible if it did not affect his own interests. Regardless of her personality, it was a fact that Preston had cheated on her."Why are you—" Octavia started to ask."When you’ve achieved something in your business, I will consider helping you if you encounter any difficulties," he replied.Octavia fell silent, and her tears stopped flowing. As she gazed at the impassive Joseph, memories of his childhood resurfaced. She remembered how unkind she had been to him when he was younger. He had always been stoic, cold, and unfriendly to everyone, making him quite unlikeable. In the past, she had tried to undermine Joseph multiple times to ensure that Harold would focus on nurturing Jonathan. Even now, she held the belief that Harold favored Joseph more than her son.But despite her initial de
"Okay, we’ll do that," Chloe replied.After staying up all night, they returned home to rest. Chloe slept until the afternoon to replenish her energy. She took a bath, allowing the warm water to wash away her fatigue. While lathering up, she overheard Joseph on a call discussing something about booking a postnatal care center.She could not help but entertain a ridiculous hope as she looked at her growing belly. After her shower, she still heard Joseph's voice coming intermittently from the other room. She stopped in her tracks and eavesdropped."Go ahead and choose any postnatal care center you want.""Sure, you can discuss it with Lucas." "I can't go today. Go on your own.""Okay, bye."Once the call ended, Chloe knew exactly whom he had been talking to. After all, there were only two pregnant women around—herself and Xavia. After not having been sleep deprived for a long time, her exhausted mind struggled to process the situation clearly. Surprisingly, she did not feel ang