"What engagement party?" Joseph asked, his voice thick with confusion.Chloe blinked, wondering what was going on.'Has Jake not told him yet? Maybe they just confirmed the date and Ava couldn't wait to show off to me.’'"It's nothing. Just a friend's engagement party this weekend. Will you go with me?" Chloe asked with a sheepish smile.Joseph responded bluntly, "I have a business trip.He had no time to attend such a party with her."Okay, well, go and come back early. Make sure to eat on time when you're out, and if there's nothing urgent, go to bed early. Goodbye and goodnight."Joseph stared at her. It seemed to him that she wanted him to leave as soon as possible.The veins on his forehead began to bulge and he raised his hand to stop the door from closing. He said in a low voice, "I've looked into Fairlight for you. Jack has already been transferred."Chloe raised her eyebrows and smiled brightly, "I know, but I still want to say thank you.""And your job…""It's not
Narrowing his eyes, Joseph pinched her cheek."You’re such an idiot," he remarked.Chloe believed that he was unfamiliar with the area since he had just returned to the country, so she took it upon herself to explain, "Fairlight is located in Dixie Center. I didn't make a mistake."It was he who was the idiot.Joseph remained silent, a hint of inscrutability crossing his gaze. Chloe stared into his deep and unfathomable eyes, feeling as though she was peering into an abyss.Suddenly, something flashed through her mind, but she could not quite grasp it. She thought carefully, but could not catch the passing thought.*It was hot in the afternoon. Chloe joined her coworkers for a quick lunch break downstairs before returning to her desk. As she pulled out her phone to check her messages, she realized that Miles had not responded to her morning message even after five hours.While contemplating whether to call him, she scrolled through her Facebook feed and noticed that although h
The security guard was efficient and soon let Chloe in.From inside the car, she watched as Adam helped Ava up and she leaned into his embrace.Chloe deliberately waited for a moment, observing coldly as both of them exchanged numbers. She only came out of her car once Ava had left.Having previously worked on a similar project abroad, the discussions went smoothly and the plan was quickly settled upon. When she emerged from Patterson, it was already time to clock out.Since Joseph was away on a business trip, Chloe made some simple tuna sandwiches for dinner. She placed the plates of sandwiches on the table and took a photo before sending it to Joseph.[Jojo, I don't feel like eating without you around. This is all I’m having for dinner tonight.]Joseph was attending a meeting overseas and felt his phone sitting on the table vibrate. The presenter paused mid-sentence and looked up at him, silently seeking approval to continue.Joseph did not lift his head, keeping his gaze fixe
"Of course.""Goodness me. He's young, rich, and handsome. The female employees at Fairlight are so lucky to see him from time to time. Who knows. They might even get a chance to get up close and personal with him.""Those female employees are nothing compared to you. Your uncle is a manager at Fairlight, and there's a chance he might be able to transfer you to his department. You're beautiful, and with a little effort, you could easily captivate him... Oh, wait, I forgot. Your uncle was fired because of Chloe's scheming."When I think about it, you're the one who got the short end of the stick. You missed out on a good match..."Melody was so angry that she could barely contain herself. "I don't know what's so good about that b*tch. Why are there people standing up for her?""It's not just someone standing up for her. There are plenty of people who like her. Do you still remember Peter? He was Chloe's college coursemate, and he confessed his love to her a few days ago."Melody w
Chloe frowned. "What are you talking about? What do you mean by ‘marry Peter?’ What does this have to do with him?""It doesn't matter if you don't understand. All you have to do is enjoy what's coming next."Ava smirked and called two burly men from outside to forcefully tie Chloe to a chair. Then, they roughly poured a bottle of a bitter-tasting concoction down her throat. The bottle had no label—clearly an unregulated product.Chloe tried to resist, but her body suddenly went limp and she was unable to even open her eyes.Everything happened too quickly. Chloe had been through so much, but she never imagined that Ava would be so vicious and dare to break the law!She tried to open her mouth, but her stomach rolled violently, and a surge of fear she had never experienced before overwhelmed her.Looking at Chloe struggle futilely, Ava reached into Chloe’s bag and grabbed her phone before viciously smashing it on the floor.As the phone shattered into fragments, Ava let out a wi
Before the phone could even ring on the other end, Joseph quickly hung up and his expressionless face instantly returned to normal.What was the point of him making the call? Whether she was busy or she was intentionally playing hard to get, he would never fall for her tricks.Just because Chloe did not reply to his messages did not mean he could not find out about Toto's condition."Have Patrick check on Toto," he ordered.Lucas could not fathom Joseph's intentions, so he dared not say anything and simply compiled.An hour later, Patrick called to report that Toto had been vomiting and looked lethargic. He had taken it to the vet where the preliminary diagnosis showed gastrointestinal irritation.Joseph's temper rose with each passing moment. Had this woman ignored his warnings and let Toto suffer? Not only had she not taken Toto to the vet today, but she also had not even bothered to notify him.For the entire afternoon, Joseph radiated cold air like a portable air conditioner
"What are you doing, Peter?!" Chloe gasped for breath, struggling to push him away."Chloe, I feel terrible. Please help me. I'll marry you when we get out of here," Peter pleaded."Don't touch me, Peter! Wake up!" Chloe raised her voice, screaming."You're so beautiful. I can't resist touching you. Just agree to be with me.""But I don't like you! If you touch me again, I'll call the police!" Chloe warned. Smack!Peter slapped Chloe hard across the face, leaving five distinct finger marks on her cheek. He then proceeded to forcefully tear off her clothes as his face contorted with excitement."It doesn't matter. Once everything is over, no one else but me will want you."Enduring both mental and physical agony, Chloe forced herself to swallow the bloody taste in her throat. Her expression dulled as she watched her clothes disappear one by one. As if she had lost all hope, she stopped struggling and stared at the ceiling as tears of despair streamed down her cheeks.But she r
Icarus sneered and threw the surveillance footage he had retrieved from his home at Jake. "Take a look at what your girlfriend did!"Jake watched the video on his phone and swallowed nervously. "Uncle Icarus, please let me explain. Ava is kind and innocent. She couldn't possibly have done something like this. There must be a misunderstanding...""The evidence is right in front of your eyes, and yet you still don't believe it! Are you blind?!""Even if Ava did it, it must be because of something Coco did. You don't know her. You don't know her well. She's vengeful and sharp-tongued. Maybe Ava just wanted to scare her."The video only showed the scene in the courtyard. Who knew what happened after Chloe entered the room? She could bring herself to cozy up to a wealthy man, so she might have something going on with Peter too. Besides, it was Melody who pushed Peter into the room. What did it have to do with Ava?Icarus was almost laughing at his foolish nephew. "I truly fail to compr