Benjamin's face became badly bruised from the punch, but he had no chance to retaliate. As expected, the warden pulled them apart. "I'm not lying. There’s a watch back in the villa that the man left behind. It's in the basement."This revelation filled Chloe with extremely complicated feelings, and she found it hard to say anything.Noah regained his wits. His eyes turned icy as he said, "How do we know if you're lying or not?""Go ahead and do a paternity test." Benjamin started coughing and his breathing became labored. He suggested intermittently, "I…I’m running out of time. We…We should expose the truth to…the public."Benjamin could admit that he had cheated on Luciana first, but this was the true reason he disliked Chloe. Before he was imprisoned, he had always thought of her as filthy since she was not a true Johnson. Alas, people only gained epiphany on the verge of death. Although she was not his child by blood, Chloe had seen him as her father. He had failed to cherish
Eustace erupted in anger. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out of the apartment to a car downstairs, indifferent to how she resisted and struggled. He then let her go and carried a girl out of the shotgun seat.The girl was pretty, with fair and tender skin. Her eyes were round and large and her hair done up in two braids. However, her eyes were unfocused, signaling she was different from others of her age."Aggie, say hi to Mommy," Eustace urged the girl tenderly.The girl seemed to understand him as she looked toward Xavia and said, "Hi, Mommy." "Aaaahhh! No!!!" Xavia broke down and screamed as if she had been punched. She then slapped the girl. "Get out of here!" The little girl, Angelina Hubble, made no response as if she did not feel the pain of the slap. She was still in a daze. Everything seemed to remind Xavia that Angelina was a mentally challenged child, and the girl was her child.Xavia's face twisted in rage. Unable to let go of her anger, she slapped Ange
In a daze, a fleeting thought, too swift for her to fully comprehend, raced through Chloe's mind. She felt a faint sense of familiarity in Frieda as if they had crossed paths before.Chloe did not dwell on it for long, though. Leaning back, a mischievous glint danced in her eyes as she said, "A few successful cases won't cut it. I want you to assist me in crafting our next strategy."Upon hearing this, a smile tugged at the corner of Noah's lips.Frieda readily agreed, her response swift and confident, "No problem."After she departed, Noah reached for a pen and twirled it between his fingers. "You were testing Frieda," he remarked.Chloe shook her head. "Not entirely. To have become number one in sales, she must be special. She just seems familiar to me, and I wish to use this opportunity to get closer and see if it jogs my memory."Noah remembered how Frieda had impressed the interviewers when she applied with the company several years ago. Despite her seemingly blank resume, s
Joseph exerted considerable force, leaving red marks on Chloe's wrist. Annoyance flashed across her face as she said, "Who cares about coming here? If it weren't for something important, I would never come here for the rest of my life."Joseph's face turned pale with anger and responded by tightening his grip. He seemed intent on punishing her. Chloe winced in pain and took a quick step forward, viciously stomping on his shoe with her pointed heel a few times. Yet, Joseph remained surprisingly composed and side-eyed her."Had enough?" he asked.Seeing him seemingly unaffected, Chloe's interest quickly waned. "What's with the tough act? It should hurt unless you're dead.""You're right.”Joseph's fingertips hid the red marks on Chloe's wrist. She forcefully pulled away, throwing him an indifferent expression. "Are you done, Mr. Joseph? Not every woman is like Xavia who throws themselves at any man they see. I'm only here today to deliver something to an employee of mine."Joseph's
“At least I'm not seducing men in public." Xavia gritted her teeth.Chloe simply shrugged and concurred, "Of course not. You're just exceptional at putting on a facade."An innocent flower in public, a scheming serpent in private.Xavia sneered. "You've been playing this act for five years now. No need for flattery." She had hoped to at least remain by Joseph's side, even if she could not win his heart. But with this slut’s return, her chances were now even slimmer than before.Tucking her hair behind her ear, Chloe casually remarked, "It has been five years, and you two haven’t made anything official. How embarrassing."This had caught Chloe by surprise. She assumed that after posting online, Joseph would come to Xavia’s defense. But to her astonishment, the netizens instead ridiculed Xavia and pointed out that she was not married into the Whitman family. Joseph remained single to this day and had distanced himself from Xavia. But although she was not a good person, he was not an
"Exotic Star's interviewers had no idea you've been to prison, do they?" Joseph placed the file in front of Frieda.Frieda's expression changed, but she did not display panic. Instead, she looked calm and admitted, "Yes, I've been to prison."Joseph squinted and cast a dark gaze upon her as he remained silent. Frieda maintained her composure, keeping her eyes lowered to conceal her emotions."Are you interested in finance?"Frieda pondered for a few seconds before replying, "Yes.""Lucas," Joseph called out."Yes, Mr. Joseph?”"Arrange for Frieda to sit in the front row."A little perplexed, Lucas assumed that Joseph was doing this out of consideration for Chloe. He then led Frieda to her designated seat.Frieda gazed deeply at Joseph with hidden affection within her eyes. "Chloe isn’t with Noah yet,” she said before walking out, her words implying that he still had a chance.Lucas quickly grasped the situation. This lady was indeed someone close to Chloe, and Joseph was look
Jasper remained expressionless. "So what if she knows? I believe in treating people well if they treat me well. Sincerity begets sincerity, even with parents."Xavia gave him life, but it was not something he asked for. Since she made the decision to have him, she should be responsible for him. It should not be constant scolding and treating him like an enemy.He had reflected on himself many times, questioning if his grades were not high enough or if he was not obedient enough... He had tried to do better, yet she still did not like him. He could not understand it, but he firmly believed he was not at fault.Chloe observed Jasper attentively. He appeared to be a cool and indifferent child, unaffected by anything. However, upon closer observation, one would notice the hint of sadness in his dark, shining eyes whenever Xavia was mentioned.A pang of heartache washed over Chloe. She empathized with the feeling of not being recognized by elders. She let out an inaudible sigh before as
Before Jasper could speak, the woman jumped in and complained, "Your son bit my hand. You have to compensate me."Chloe examined the bite marks on the woman's hand and then turned to Jasper. "Is that what happened?""She scolded me first. She also pinched me, so I bit her," Jasper said truthfully."Nonsense! This child only knows how to lie. Why would I, an adult, hit him?" the woman vehemently denied. Pulling her daughter close, she asked, "Did you see me scold him?"The little girl, with her mother fiercely winking at her, said softly, "Mommy didn't hit him or scold him."Jasper could not believe that his classmate would sell him out.The woman, having achieved her goal, smugly extended her hand and demanded, "You heard her. Compensate me."Chloe stood her ground and pointed toward the gas station's surveillance camera. "I'm willing to compensate you, but first, let's review the surveillance footage together. If your account matches what actually happened, I'll compensate acco