The sunlight shone on Callum's face, and Joseph noticed the changes in his expression. "Did you uncover something?" "Just some family matters.""Has Otto started contacting your daughter?""I have no idea. I've been pretty busy with some other stuff recently, but I did warn her." Callum did not divulge to Joseph the information he just received. He calmed himself and patted Joseph's shoulders. "How about giving up on your ex-wife and giving it a go with my daughter instead?"Although it would be Joseph’s second marriage, he was exceptional in various aspects. If he got together with Callum's daughter, she would not be losing out.Joseph's face stiffened. He replied seriously, "Mr. Callum, you know that I only care about Chloe."Hearing this, Callum knew that Joseph had made up his mind. He simply chuckled and said nothing else.On his way home, Joseph received a text. He opened it and found a brief but encouraging message.[Sir, Mr. Harold reacted. He should be waking up tom
The tall and slim woman in the information sported shoulder-length hair and had delicate facial features. There was a hint of wit in her bright, charming eyes.Carolina was amazed by the photograph. She could guess how beautiful the woman her husband bedded had been."How old is she? Is she married?"Callum was bewildered and his words failed him. It was Joseph's ex-wife… Chloe was Luciana's daughter!"Hubby?" Carolina looked at him in confusion.Callum was filled with pain and gloominess. "I know this woman."Stunned and confused, she asked, "How?""It’s a long story,” he said as he put his phone down.*At the Whitman family home, Jasper was eagerly watching Harold, who was laying in bed. "Daddy, when will Greatpapi wake up?" He wanted to be the first person Harold sees upon waking up.Joseph had ordered for his office desk to be relocated to Harold’s room. With his head lowered as he flipped through his business documents, he said, "The doctor said tomorrow night at the la
Chloe had just parked when Joseph came out. Their eyes met. His eyes fixed on Chloe as she got out of the car and walked toward him. He was one head taller than her, but her demeanor was no less imposing than Joseph's after five years of improving herself.She looked up at him and said calmly, "I'm here to see Grandpa, and to ask you something about the resort."It was just as Joseph had anticipated. He smiled cunningly as if he had gotten what he wanted. "Why, of course. Please, come in." Annoyed with his smug look, she coldly averted her gaze and followed him to the living room.Jasper's black eyes lit up when he saw her. "Daddy, I was the one who invited Ms. Chloe.""I figured. What reward would you like?"Jasper pondered over the matter and answered solemnly, "I want a mother who loves me."He had more than enough money and toys. In comparison to other children, the only one he lacked was a loving mother.Joseph pouted, then ruffled Jasper's hair. "Okay, you'll get a mothe
Joseph looked embarrassed. He coughed drily. "Nonsense. I'm just worried about your health."Jasper was just a child, after all. When he saw his father's stern expression, he obediently put down his fork and said, "Okay, I'll stop eating. Good night, Ms. Chloe. I'm going to go to bed." Chloe leaned back in her chair. "Good night. I'll wake you when Grandpa wakes up.""Okay." Jasper went upstairs, so only Chloe and Joseph were left in the dining room.Chloe yawned lazily before glancing at Joseph. She then got up and went toward Harold's room. She had no plans to stay there with him.Joseph remained where he was, scrolling through his phone. He only looked up a few seconds after Chloe walked into Harold’s room. He then glanced at the half-eaten sausage pasta on the table. His belly failed him and rumbled loudly. After some slight hesitation, he pulled the plate toward him and started eating the pasta. The taste was familiar—simple food that he had been missing for years. Durin
Chloe looked up at Joseph, looking at the latter with a profound gaze.Xavia truly had her ways. When she was not causing a scene, she was hooking up with another man, and this man was either rich or noble given the reporter's attitude. As expected, Joseph’s brows furrowed. "Give me your phone."Chloe scoffed and handed it over. When Joseph saw the man in the video, his frown deepened.Thinking he was jealous, Chloe cracked a faint smile. "Oh, are you upset?""I know what you're thinking but I assure you that I don't care who Xavia's with.""Oh yeah, you don't care at all," she drawled, echoing his words.Gritting his teeth, Joseph pointed at the man on his phone and hissed, "That’s Kenneth Gillingham, the prince of the royal family. In a few years, he'll be contending for the throne. His father and I are close friends and business partners."Chloe was stunned. After understanding the complicated relationship, she suddenly burst into laughter. It was the first time she had lau
After checking on Harold, the doctor smiled. "Mr. Harold is about to wake up. Try your best not to agitate him once he does. We don’t want to stimulate him and cause a second injury to his brain."Joseph looked at Chloe beside him, figuring that she was impatient to know who had hurt Harold. She noticed his gaze and quickly said, "Don't worry. I want to know the truth, but I can wait. I'm worried about him as much as you are."About half an hour after the doctor left, Harold slowly opened his eyes. After taking a moment to adjust to the lights, his eyes started to focus.Joseph took a step forward. "Hey Grandpa, how are you feeling?"Harold remained quiet. Having been in a coma for so long, he felt that his brain was foggy. Chloe was worried and called for the doctor. After the check-up, the doctor pronounced that Harold was fine and just had yet to fully recover."Mr. Joseph, you guys should get some rest. I'll watch over him."Joseph had personally chosen this doctor, so he was
Harold opened his mouth, but then closed it and decided not to broach the topic in front of Jasper."Jasper, could you ask the chef to cook me some oatmeal please?" "Okay, Greatpapi." Jasper was more than happy to take care of his great-grandfather who had just woken up. He sped down the stairs to look for the chef.Chloe knew that Harold was deliberately waiting for everyone to leave. She asked anxiously, "Should I close the door?""Yes."She nodded and got up to shut the door. "Go ahead, Grandpa."A tangled web of memories washed over him, making his head hurt. For a moment, he did not know where to begin. Upon noticing her short hair, he felt sorry for Chloe. "You must’ve suffered a lot alone for the past few years."Chloe chuckled. "No, I didn’t. I made lots of friends while abroad. My best friend, Emily, was there with me too. I had a great time.""Then why did you cut your hair?"She paused for a moment before answering calmly, "My hair was burned in the fire. It was hi
At the mention of this, Harold seemed a little hesitant. He was silent for a long while before he said, "It was Xa—""Your oatmeal’s here!" A child’s voice interrupted him.Jasper carefully carried a bowl of oatmeal into the room. "Greatpapi, it's a little hot. Blow on it before you eat." Harold looked at Jasper and said, "I will, thank you.""You're welcome." Jasper turned to tug at Chloe's clothes. "Ms. Chloe, my teacher is here. Can you come downstairs with me?""Where's your father?" Eager to find out the truth, Chloe wanted to turn Jasper down."Daddy's downstairs but the teacher told me to get my mother. If you don't come, I'll have to tell the teacher I don't have a mother." Jasper looked down sadly and let go of her clothes.A pang of pain hit Chloe in the chest. Harold just told her that Jasper might be the product of Xavia and another man, but she still found it hard to say no to him. Harold felt the same way too. He had always wished for an obedient great-grandson.
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