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
Noah craned his neck to look at her phone. "Joseph?"Chloe rejected the call and said, "Yeah. Who else would be so concerned about Xavia?"Chuckling, Noah continued, "He won't give up so easily."In the next second, Chloe's phone rang again. It was the same number. She did not answer, nor did she block his number. While Xavia had messed with her relationship, the person who truly disappointed her was Joseph. Though she could not do anything to him, she would strive to make his life a living hell.*In a private lounge, Samuel scrolled through the news on his phone and laughed uproariously. "Hahahaha, this is comedy gold. Look at Xavia. She’s as pale as a corpse."Nathan chuckled. "Yeah, this is the first time I've seen her lose her composure like this. Chloe really went all out this time. She has a different vibe about her now.”Chloe was incapable of such ruthlessness in the past. Stroking his chin, Samuel nodded in agreement. "She cut her long hair short. But Joe, it's bette
Chloe was half awake as she glanced at her phone. She suddenly saw something that caused her to spring up from the bed. As her mind gradually cleared, she looked at her phone again before setting it aside to freshen up.During breakfast, Desmond frowned and said, "I saw the announcement from the Whitman Group. Joseph seems to be siding with you."This was not a good thing. Rather than siding with Chloe, Desmond hoped that Joseph would fall out with them. After all, the Sullivans were a powerful family. It would save Chloe and Noah a lot of unnecessary trouble when they got married later.Taking a bite of her sandwich, Chloe said nonchalantly, "Is it possible that Joseph isn't taking my side, but rather, he has been wanting to cut ties with Xavia for a long time? Besides, this will benefit his son too."The press release stated three points. First, Joseph and Xavia were never married and their child was raised solely by Joseph. Second, both parties never interfered in each other's r
And it was not only the members of the board who knew. Exotic Star’s official website had even made an announcement. Noah was the sole inheritor of the company, and this was good news. All the jewelry under the brand was having an 88% discount. Soon, not only the internal staff but everyone in Docwood knew about it.Desmond had left no room for Chloe to back out."How could you not tell us this, Ms. Chloe? We'll have to address you as Mrs. Chloe soon.""That's right. Mr. Noah’s a good man. Many women in the office tried to woo him, but he just gave them the cold shoulder. I'm sure he'll treat you well after you guys are married.""You're engaged to Noah?" a voice interrupted.Chloe glanced at Frieda, who had a puzzled expression on her face. Chloe raised her eyebrows and asked, "Yeah? Anything wrong with that?""I'm just asking.""Well, I believe you’ve already heard everyone talking about it, right?"After Chloe’s confirmation, Frieda's brow furrowed even tighter and a hint of
Chloe stared at Joseph for a while before chuckling. "Oh, come on. If you still like me, just say it. No need to say such offensive words. Your intimidation won't work on me.""I'm intimidating you?""Yes, that's exactly what you're doing. You're using disapproval and demeaning tactics to satisfy your ego, aiming to make me feel inferior and achieve your purpose," Chloe replied."I'm not that despicable," Joseph retorted."Well then, where did you get the idea that I relied on Noah to get into Exotic Star? Even if I did, what's wrong with that? I got the man and the job. It's a win-win situation. If you genuinely care for me, you should bless me instead of nitpicking and making me feel like you still have lingering feelings for me."Joseph fell silent and his furrowed brows slowly relaxed. Had she finally figured it out? If he had let her go, why would he care about her relationship with Noah?Chloe tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes sparkled as she teased, "Oh? Did
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