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
Chloe took the blueprints and examined them carefully. After a moment, she calmly returned them to Joseph. "Even if Noah knew all of this, I wouldn't care."She realized that if Noah had intended to harm her, she could have easily become a victim. In fact, he not only saved her but also helped uncover her familial roots and brought her back to the Sullivan family. The Sullivans possessed immense wealth, and with Noah being involved with them since childhood, it was natural for people to suspect him of having ulterior motives. But Chloe felt in her heart that Noah had no hidden agenda. She felt that he genuinely cared for her and treated her with kindness.Joseph noticed her high regard for this man, and his expression darkened. "Noah is cunning. Sooner or later, he’ll deceive you and leave you nothing. You'll regret not believing me.""Well, I believed you once, and we all know how that turned out." Chloe smiled brilliantly, but her eyes held mockery. "Mr. Joseph, handle the car acc
Seeing that Joseph made no move to leave, she smiled sarcastically. "Have you had your fill?"A hint of desire flashed through his eyes as he turned away. "Change and come downstairs.""For what?”"Xavia’s downstairs."Chloe raised an eyebrow, the teasing evident on her face. "Duly noted."Today was Exotic Star's board meeting, and Desmond and Noah were still at the office. Chloe was unsure when they would get back. If she ran into them dressed like this, it would be an awkward encounter. Indeed, she should change.During the wait, Joseph's mind filled with images of Chloe's alluring figure. He had never truly let go of her. The temptation was strong, and it left his typically cold and charming face looking somewhat absent-minded.Xavia tried to speak to him several times but failed to elicit a response from him. Seeing him in such a bewitched state, she clenched her fists in anger. She should have come here alone to resolve things so as to avoid increasing the chances of Joseph
Joseph met Noah's gaze and smiled mockingly. "What are you afraid of?"Noah remained composed and smiled. "Come now. If someone breaks into your house in the middle of the night, wouldn't you be afraid?""Is that even possible? Did someone shout 'thief’ or something?"Noah's smile faded slightly, and annoyance flickered across his face. "Maybe Coco didn't satisfy you enough, so you're now bothering me?"Radiating displeasure and coldness, Joseph was clearly in a bad mood. Besides Chloe, who else could have caused him such discomfort?Joseph was unwilling to say more, simply remaining silent and looking Noah over coldly. He then drove away, leaving Noah and Xavia in the front yard.Xavia watched the car speed off into the distance, gritting her teeth in dissatisfaction. He had left her in the dark, leaving her to make her own way home alone.Joseph was an emotionless hunk of rock.Noah, however, had his eyes fixed on the third floor of the manor. A light was on in Chloe's room,
Noah noticed her little gestures and softened his voice, gently coaxing, "What's wrong? Did Joseph bully you again?"Chloe paused. A hint of emotion flickered across her fair face. She hesitated for a moment, knowing deep down that Noah was the one who treated her well. She then took out the blueprints and handed them to him. "Actually, it's nothing. He just gave me this."Noah walked over and examined the blueprints. He quickly recognized them as the structural plans of the hospital where the fire had taken place.Chloe stared into Noah's eyes and said, "Joseph told me that your rescuing me was premeditated."Noah looked up. His eyes looked clear and honest. "Do you believe that?""I don't," she replied decisively. Some individuals and situations were known only to oneself, and she had a clear opinion in her heart.Noah calmly continued. "I've been aware of the unique design of this hospital for quite some time. The architect behind it is the father of one of my high school clas
Xavia clenched her fists. Her fingernails dug into her palm. Ignoring the pain, she calmed herself and restarted the performance. However, it was far from satisfactory. Even the non-musicians in the audience could tell that something was amiss.This was undoubtedly a significant mishap in her career."What's going on? Is there something wrong with my hearing?" someone wondered aloud."Her performance is so… It's even worse than my nephew," another voice said."Maybe Vee isn't feeling well today. Let's cut her some slack," a sympathetic voice offered.Finally, her manager backstage decided to come out and apologized on behalf of Xavia and her team. "We are terribly sorry about today’s performance. Vee has been battling a cold for several days, and she’s not at her best. We'll refund all the tickets for today's show."Agitated, Xavia asked, "What? You're refunding all the tickets?""Yes. You're the one who messed up the performance, so you need to clean up the mess," the manager s
Xavia's face was pale as she stared at the white wreath in front of her. Through the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of a fruit knife on the table in the backstage resting room. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed by the feeling of tearing Noah and Chloe to pieces.Her manager did not notice the changes in her demeanor. He nervously pointed at Noah and stammered, "M-Mr. Noah, we never slighted you in any way. Why are you treating us this way? Did someone make you do this?"Before Noah could respond, Chloe walked up to the stage and sneered. "We're just telling the truth. I have the right to let her fans know the truth, don't I?""Oh my gosh. Is all that real?""I can't believe I thought Vee was a faithful woman. Joseph must've discovered her true nature a long time ago.""That short-haired woman’s Chloe. She's Joseph’s ex-wife, right? She did Vee one dirty. Today is supposed to be Vee's concert, but she presented Vee with a wreath. How wicked."Stop calling her Vee. It's sickening
After Chloe calmed herself, she realized that the place she was in resembled the villa she lived in while overseas five years ago. However, upon closer inspection, the exterior scenery was different. She realized something and froze."Did you build a villa identical to the one I stayed in five years ago?" she asked.Noah was busy bandaging himself. Upon hearing her question, he replied, "Yeah, doesn't it look almost identical?"Chloe's gaze swept over every item in the room, and she admitted that she was touched. She turned back to Noah and looked at him gently as if she had returned to the time when she simply treated him as a little brother."How did you convince Tiffany to cooperate with you?"Tiffany had made her move while Noah distracted Desmond."I just told her about it, and she agreed."Chloe asked, "Do you think you’re treating her fairly?"Noah said flatly, "I’ll compensate her."Compensate? How? Chloe thought that youth was the most precious thing in the world, but
In the Whitman family home, Joseph went to deal with a bunch of urgent company matters after putting Jasper to sleep. By the time he finished, it was already past three in the morning. He contemplated calling Chloe to ask about Noah's situation, but thinking it might disrupt her sleep, he abandoned the idea.When Joseph woke up the next day, it was already half past six. He recalled Chloe mentioning that Exotic Star had a new product launching today and that she would have to wake up early. He reached for his phone on the table, intending to call her.However, his hand slipped and the phone fell to the floor. The loud thud caused his heart to tremble. He stared at the shattered phone screen as he got a bad feeling. He grabbed his spare phone and quickly dialed Chloe's number. After ringing for some time, a cold, mechanical voice informed him that there was no one available to answer at the moment. Without hesitation, he immediately headed to the Sullivan Manor. When Joseph got ther
“Yes, Grandpa, and I hope you won't stop me when the time comes," Noah said. "You're not discussing this with me. You're just informing me!" Desmond said exasperatedly. "I'm sorry, Grandpa.”Desmond hemmed and hawed for a long while, at a loss for words. He seemed to age ten years as he stared into the distance through the window. After a while, he said, "I've already had someone contact doctors abroad regarding your condition, so don't worry. All you have to do now is just focus on recovering. Don't give up so soon."Sensing Desmond's determination, Noah's eyes filled with tears. He too wished to spend a few more years with his grandfather.When they arrived at the Sullivan manor, the foreign doctors had replied. Upon learning that the renowned healer, Z, had treated Noah but only achieved limited success, they decided not to intervene.Noah was not discouraged by this. He comforted Desmond and said, "Grandpa, I would like to go abroad for a few days. It's been a long time sin
Half an hour later, Desmond and Noah walked out of the ward together.Desmond said, "The doctor told you to stay in the hospital for a few more days, so why don't you just listen? If something happens to you again, they can treat you immediately."Noah smiled warmly and said, "It's okay. The medical equipment at home is sufficient."Desmond sighed. It would be good if Noah stayed at home as well. At least there would be more pairs of eyes on him.Desmond instructed the driver to come to the hospital’s basement car park. When he hung up the phone, he looked around the corridor and wondered, "Wasn't Chloe just sitting here? Where is she?"Noah did not say anything and just lowered his head."And where's Tiffany too? Call her. We need to go home," Desmond said as he took his phone out to call Chloe.However, Chloe did not answer his call. Noah did not call Tiffany. Instead, he said, "Her brother had something to discuss with her, so he came by and brought her home. Maybe Chloe ha
Chloe looked at Tiffany and said sarcastically, "Not everyone is willing to contribute their entire life knowing that the other person doesn't like them."Tiffany had a heart problem. She might die at any moment, yet she chose to live around someone who did not love her back. Chloe often marveled at the greatness of love, but she would never possess such a sacrificial spirit.Tiffany laughed coldly. "It’s because I have compassion and you don't. When Xavia died before your eyes, you just coldly stared at her body."Chloe raised her head sharply, glared at Tiffany, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Xavia took my child, stole my man, and wrecked my marriage! She nearly got me killed several times! If she hadn’t died, it might have been me! I should've celebrated her death with fireworks! None of you know what I've been through, so stop pointing fingers at me!"At first, she had felt responsible for Xavia's death, but she had since come to her senses. Xavia's death had nothing to
Desmond was taken aback that he even forgot his cane and almost tripped on the carpet. He quickly got back up and headed for the second floor. The butler immediately called for an ambulance while the other housekeepers guided the panicked guests away.Chloe furrowed her brows, following Desmond into Noah's bedroom. The curtains were drawn tightly, blocking out all light. But just standing at the door, one could detect the strong scent of rust from inside.A helper flipped a switch, and the room was flooded with light. The wooden furniture was neatly arranged while neatly folded clothes sat on the sofa.Chloe looked around but did not see Noah. She then looked toward the bathroom and her face sank.Tiffany pointed to the bathroom and said, "He's in there."Desmond trembled as he pushed open the bathroom door. Inside was a mess, with red stains covering the floor. Noah was in the bathtub, his wet clothes clinging to his body. His arms hung limply over the tub's edge, and his head sl
Chloe did not know how to answer."Say something. You wanted her dead, right? Are you happy now that she is dead?!” Kenneth shouted angrily at her, his eyes bloodshot and his gaze piercing.He was so loud that it drew the attention of many nearby. Callum and Joseph rushed over, and Joseph shielded Chloe behind him. He pushed Kenneth back several steps and said sternly, "Never speak of that woman in front of Chloe again. Otherwise, there'll be consequences!""Hah! Are you protecting a murderer?" Kenneth laughed. "Oh yeah, you’re both responsible for Xavia's death after all."Smack!Callum slapped Kenneth across the face, instantly silencing him. "Get a grip, Ken! Xavia deserved to die. Stop embarrassing yourself in front of Chloe.”Kenneth held his face as he muttered, "Yeah, you're right… Xavia should’ve died. She was evil. She deceived and took advantage of me… She should die..."Then why was he so tormented over her death? He could not sleep or eat. He knew Xavia deserved th
Joseph frowned. "Of course not. Her death has nothing to do with you. Promise me you won’t think such thoughts."The unexpected turn of events caught both Chloe and him off guard. Xavia clearly wanted to haunt Chloe forever by killing herself in front of her. Although he felt shocked, he was not deeply shaken. After all, he had not witnessed Xavia's jump, and Xavia probably thought that the third floor was not enough to kill her. After all, being in the hospital for treatment was better than being detained by the police.Chloe looked at Joseph with vacant eyes and smiled bitterly. "You're right. It’s good that she's finally dead. She got what she deserved, and I should be happy," she said."Exactly. Even if she didn't jump, the police would’ve arrested her," Joseph said gently, "It's my fault for asking you to buy us some time. If she comes back as a ghost to haunt you, I'll stop her."Joseph, Tyson, and a few officers had arrived just moments after Xavia jumped. He had brought a g
Everyone erupted into gasps. As a deafening crash came from below, the staff scattered. Some ran downstairs to try and rescue Iris. Some who had rushed to the windows shouted anxiously, "She's still alive!"Everyone around Chloe was running as her mind was filled with an endless ringing. The whole world became a blur. She never imagined that things would end like this. The meeting hall was on the third floor. It was not too high, but it could be fatal if one were to land on their head. Everyone's accusatory gaze fell on Chloe, and the crowd started to murmur."Damn, how could she do this to Iris? Do you think she’ll be haunted by nightmares tonight?""Yeah, why does she insist that Iris is Xavia?""What if Iris dies? Won’t Ms. Chloe indirectly become a murderer?""Do you think Iris will come for revenge in the middle of the night when she dies?"Something inside Chloe snapped, and she shouted, "It wasn't me! What she did has nothing to do with me!"Her outburst silenced the ro