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