It was late at night, and snow began to fall. The large, fluffy snowflakes appeared eager to blanket the scene of the fire. When Joseph arrived at the hospital, a few snowflakes landed on his long eyelashes, softening his typically sharp gaze. His eyes held a glimmer of moisture, revealing an uncharacteristic absence of aggression and a touch of sorrow.Lucas struggled to find the words to say. His voice trembled with emotion. "Sir, Ms. Chloe…is gone.""What do you mean ‘gone?’""Ms. Chloe had an accident at the mansion. She fell and was immediately brought to the hospital. The doctors discovered severe internal bleeding. While they were performing the surgery, a fire broke out. And despite their efforts, they couldn't save the baby or her..."Joseph froze, his senses dulled by the weight of the news. It felt as if darkness had enveloped him, robbing him of sight. He could not see the figures before him or the path stretching ahead. All he could hear was the haunting echo of Lucas'
Unexpectedly, the slap did not elicit any visible reaction from Joseph. He remained transfixed on the diamond ring in his hand, repeating Chloe's name over and over in a sorrowful whisper.‘Did she truly choose death over becoming my wife?’Everything was burned down, leaving only the diamond ring. Perhaps he should not have tried to protect her in his own way, but he could not let go of her. He wanted to be a good husband. He wanted to cherish her, love her, and take responsibility for his past mistakes. But now, he would not have the chance to do so.Lucas could not bear to see Joseph this way. “Sir, I’m so sorry for your loss.”Joseph clenched his heart, and suddenly, the scene before his eyes transformed. In the blazing operating room, Chloe was trapped in a corner and her body was slowly being consumed by the flames. She struggled in pain, but no one came to rescue her. She watched as her body burned to ashes in the raging flames. Finally, she seemed to see him and cried out h
Vince replied, "The hospital informed us that the baby did not survive either."Joseph's eyelashes trembled, and his thin lips remained sealed.Not wanting Joseph to dwell in this state, Vince attempted to divert his attention. "Xavia has given birth to a son. Would you like to go and see them?""Get me the hospital's surveillance footage.""We failed to retrieve them. The fire was too intense and it affected the circuits and network."Joseph's brows furrowed as he said hoarsely and stubbornly, "Find a way to retrieve it."Vince nodded, though he held little hope. Lucas had gone to retrieve the surveillance footage immediately after the fire, but the equipment had been completely burnt beyond recognition.After Vince left, Joseph recalled that Emily had taken away Chloe's ashes. He took out The Flawless Love from his pocket, feeling a numbing ache gripping his heart. He could not come to terms with Chloe's death and lacked the courage to go to the hospital. The mere idea of stan
Xavia had a successful delivery, and after a few days of rest, she appeared to be in good spirits. Dressed in a black gown and a small hat, she exuded elegance and beauty.As Emily angrily reproached her, Xavia let out a sigh of sadness and responded, "I simply wish to pay my respects to Ms. Chloe. There's no need for you to be so worked up.""Joseph! If you let her stay, I’ll take Coco away!" Emily's face flushed with anger as she shouted at Joseph.Joseph slowly looked up and briefly glanced at Xavia, but he quickly averted his gaze. The duration of their eye contact did not even last three seconds.Xavia clenched her hands hidden in her sleeves. From the moment she had given birth until now, this man had barely spared her a glance. Instead, he had sent Tyson to check on the baby. What was he thinking?But it did not matter. Now that Chloe was no longer around, Xavia knew she would soon have better days ahead. She had an ulterior motive in coming here today. Did they really thin
“I wouldn't have just stood by and watched as Chloe burned to death if I had been at the hospital."Joseph's voice remained steady, yet the paleness of his fingernails betrayed the intensity of his emotions. How could he have let her die if he had known? He longed to build a life with her, to create a haven where they could find solace.Emily's eyes were swollen from crying, and her hatred was unconcealed. "Then where were you?"Joseph hesitated for a moment, then let out a bitter laugh. "There's no use discussing that now."Chloe would never know the truth, forever.Emily was filled with disappointment as she believed that Joseph was just making excuses and could not provide a proper answer. She said sarcastically, "Now that Coco is gone, you can openly be with Xavia. Will you laugh yourself to sleep at night?""I don't have any feelings for Xavia."Emily remained unconvinced and smiled coldly as she strode away. As she exited the cemetery, she spotted a white Maybach parked ac
Joseph's gaze was drawn toward the wailing baby. Frowning, he asked, "What's wrong with him?""Maybe he's hungry. I'll take him next door to feed him," Xavia said as she patiently comforted the baby. She stepped out of the room, and Tyson ceased trying to persuade Joseph. Instead, he remarked, "Sometimes, a new life can bring us good luck.""Good luck?" Joseph scoffed, "My luck has been so rotten that it couldn't possibly get any worse."Tyson fell silent, unable to refute or find the right words to say. After a while, he left, but Xavia stayed by Joseph's side until evening. She sat by the bedside and rocked the baby in her arms. She did not say much to Joseph as he did not give her the chance to speak, so she spent most of her time taking care of the baby."Joe, I need to use the restroom. Can you watch the baby for me?" Xavia said, her smile looking somewhat stiff after maintaining it for an entire day. Joseph's eyes softened as he looked at the baby lying on the sofa. The b
Stunned, Lucas asked, "Why are we going to the Sullivan estate?"Joseph looked into the distance, his gaze deep and his face unreadable. "I'm going to confirm something."The evening sun bathed the Sullivan estate in a warm golden hue. Desmond sat in the courtyard, leisurely savoring his hot tea while relishing the serenity of the moment. Just then, a butler hurriedly approached him and said, "Sir, Mr. Joseph is here."Desmond's hands trembled as he recalled the disrespectful words his unruly grandson had said to Joseph. He was aware of Chloe's death, and since then, Noah had been holed up in his room. It was unlikely that he had any contact with Joseph recently.With these thoughts in mind, Desmond calmed himself and said, "Please let him in."Joseph followed the butler through the estate and finally took a seat beside Desmond. Before the latter could speak, Joseph stated, "Mr. Desmond, I've come to see Noah."Desmond was taken aback. It appeared that Joseph had discovered Noah'
Deeply stung by the word "hate," Joseph wrapped his hands around Noah’s neck and glared at him intently. "Where’s Chloe?"Noah's breath momentarily caught in his throat. His face flushed red, but he remained fearless. He retorted defiantly, "She's dead! And you're the one who killed her!""I did not! I was protecting her!"He was going to set her free once he had settled everything. But no one, not even him, could predict what fate had in store for them. Struggling to breathe, Noah said with difficulty, "Stop denying it. She didn't need your protection. To Coco, your love was like a prison. Do you honestly believe you loved her and that everything you did was for her sake? You were just torturing her. And who are you trying to impress now? Can she see this or hear about this now? You're just doing this to alleviate your guilty conscience!“One moment, you're in an ambiguous relationship with Xavia, and the next, you're entangling yourself with Coco. Even if the former is an act,