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
Joseph lowered his head and met Chloe's gaze. "Okay."Chloe was taken aback. She had not expected him to agree so readily."But you'll have to cook tonight."It had been several months since Joseph had tasted her cooking. His intention these days when eating was merely to fill his stomach as he had no real appetite.Chloe rolled her eyes and thought, 'I knew it. Good things don't just fall from the sky.'"I'm pregnant, so I can't stand for long periods," she protested, deliberately placing her hand on her waist."Then don't stand for too long. Just two dishes will do."Joseph remained undeterred as he was well aware of her act. Cooking would take at most a little over an hour, and pregnant women should not stay in bed too long either. They needed some moderate activity."...Fine!" Chloe gritted her teeth and cursed in her heart, 'I hope you choke to death, you scumbag!'Satisfied, Joseph smiled triumphantly. He reached out and tucked her loose strands of hair behind her ear. "
Unwilling to accept his attitude, Chloe let out a dissatisfied harrumph. She sat down and ate, determined not to let someone else gain all the benefits of her hard work. Although she ate a fair bit, most of the food ended up in Joseph's stomach."I've checked Amelia's personal information, and there don't seem to be any problems," Joseph said, looking at the stack of documents on the corner of the table.Chloe fell silent, then picked them up to take a look.Amelia was 25 years old. She studied abroad for four years, returned to the country this year, and secured a job in the Reese Group’s finance department. Her father managed a supermarket and her mother was a homemaker. The documents also included photos of Amelia during her elementary, junior, and high school years.As Joseph had said, there seemed to be nothing unusual about her background. She seemed like an ordinary person. But having the keen senses of a woman, Chloe noticed that Amelia's appearance had changed between the
Knock, knock, knock.“Darling, are you in there? I made you coffee.”Nathan swiftly closed the pictures Joseph had sent him and replied, "Come in."Amelia entered with a cup of coffee. She placed it in front of him with a sorrowful expression and said, "Honey, there's something I haven't told you.""What is it?" Nathan asked curiously."I overheard your phone call with Mr. Joseph. I was afraid of disturbing you, so I didn't come in."Hearing this, Nathan looked a little awkward. "Let me explain, they meant no harm. It's just that you look remarkably similar to a friend of mine.""You mean your first love?""How did you know?" Nathan’s eyes widened in surprise "I never told you about that.""I guessed it. You were so excited the first time you saw me, and even mistook me for someone else. Anyone with a brain could figure it out," Amelia said, hugging him and pouting playfully. "But I don't mind those things. Just keep in mind that I'm your one and only now, okay?""Of course,
Chloe felt like she had entered a misty labyrinth, making it difficult for her to see the path forward. As they were about to leave, a woman from the school approached them."Excuse me, are you two related to Amelia Madison?" the woman asked.Chloe stared at the woman but did not answer directly, "What's it to you? Do you need something?""I mean no harm. I'm Amelia's high school classmate. After graduating from college, I returned to the school to work as a teacher. I overheard this young lady inquiring about Amelia's whereabouts in the office earlier," the woman paused for a moment, then continued, "Are you friends with Amelia?""Yes," Chloe replied."Have you...noticed that something’s off about Amelia?" the woman hesitated.Chloe and Emily exchanged glances before sitting back down. "Yes, we have. If you have time, we can sit down and talk in detail," Chloe suggested.The woman nodded gratefully. "Yes, I've noticed it too. After Amelia came back from abroad, she seemed lik
At the hospital, Chloe struggled to find the right words. "It wasn't me… I didn't do anything…""Enough! Just shut up!" Nathan stood up abruptly, his eyes reddened. "When Mr. Harold fell into a coma, you gave the same explanation. And now, when Amelia is facing this situation, you're using the same excuse again. Do you think we're fools?!"A lump formed in Chloe's throat, and before she could speak, Gabriel interrupted her. "Since you appeared, everyone around you has gotten hurt—Joe, Mr. Harold, and now Amelia. You keep saying others are trying to harm you, but who are the real victims here?""But I'm not lying. It's the truth—""Why is it that whenever someone gets hurt, it's always someone else, but you remain unscathed?"Chloe glanced at Joseph whose brows were deeply furrowed. Her lips turned pale, and a wave of sadness washed over her. As long as there were no visible physical injuries, everyone assumed she was unharmed. If that were the case, she would much rather endure th