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
Nathan's face sank. "I'm sorry." Ava had to stay in the hospital for observation, and Nathan needed to work. He went home to pick up his laptop before heading back to the hospital to accompany her.When no one was around, Ava sent a text to an unknown number. [Chloe has discovered my identity. What should I do?] The reply came swiftly. [What do Nathan and the others think?] Ava replied, [Everyone else believes me.]The response came, [Then there's no need to panic.]*Joseph arrived home in the early hours of the morning. He had matters to handle at the Whitman Group, so he went to Docwood after leaving the hospital. After resting briefly in the living room, he headed to the office for a meeting just as the sky began to brighten.After the meeting, Lucas brought breakfast and placed it on the coffee table. "Sir, please eat.”There were two black circles around Joseph's eyes, and he sounded weary as he said, "I'm fine. Has Chloe contacted me?"Lucas took out his phone and c
Chloe frowned and looked outside. "Who's here?" The commotion outside grew intense. The house helper, who was cooking in the kitchen, looked outside and exclaimed, "Oh, it's Mr. Jonathan!""Jonathan?""And a bunch of other people," the helper added.Before Chloe could react, Jonathan and numerous members from the Whitman family's main and side branches stormed in like a swarm of bees. Taking the lead, he approached Chloe and grabbed her by the collar, dragging her outside."What are you doing?!" Chloe shouted, attempting to break free from his grip."You hurt Grandpa, so we're taking you to the police station!" Jonathan said arrogantly.Gone was the submissive man he used to be. He had done his homework well before coming here. He knew that Joseph was away on a business trip today, so he could not help this woman."It wasn't me! I didn't harm Grandpa!""All the evidence points to you. Your lies won't work. Everyone present today is a senior member of the Whitman family, and w
"Get someone to handle the task," Joseph said.“Yes, sir."*Two hours later, Joseph returned home and learned about what had happened. Though the bodyguards failed to stop Chloe, they held Jonathan back. After all, why should they take the blame when he was the one responsible?However, Joseph just looked at Jonathan coldly and said, "Fuck off." Jonathan was taken aback. ‘Does he no longer care about Chloe? He's letting me go so easily?' Jonathan wondered. "So I can leave? I hope you won't be angry at us, Joe. We did it for your own good," Jonathan said cautiously, "My father is about to be released, and I'll bring him here to apologize to you. We’re still family, after all."Joseph chuckled lazily. "Did your chip investment fail?"Jonathan was stumped. "There have been some issues."Initially, he could have withdrawn both the principal and the profits. However, there were some malfunctions with the chip."Okay." Joseph was not interested in Jonathan's matter. He waved,
"Mind your own business," Joseph said and dragged Chloe away.Emily stomped her foot in frustration. 'Jeez, he's so unreasonable!'In the car, silence hung between Joseph and Chloe as they exchanged glances. Chloe turned to stare out of the window. Joseph felt a sense of sadness at being ignored. Sitting at the front, Lucas tried his best to minimize his presence, hoping not to incur either of their wrath.After a while, Joseph said after composing himself, "We'll get the maternity DNA test results for Amelia and Karen the day after tomorrow."Chloe turned back to him. Her voice shook with emotion as she asked, "You believe me?""When did I ever say I didn't?""You never once believed me and always doubted me," she retorted.Her words stung him. His face sank, and he decided to stay silent.The sky darkened, and they slowly left Aesper, heading toward the direction of Docwood. As she watched the passing scenery, Chloe asked, "Aren't we going home?"Joseph replied calmly, "No,