”I came back to clean up your mess, you idiot."Chloe was speechless."I feel terrible right now. Why can't you say something nice to comfort me?" Chloe said.Seated gracefully on the chair beside the bed, Joseph crossed his legs and leaned in, placing his large hand gently on top of Chloe's head. Although his touch was as soft as if he were stroking a cat, his tone was arrogant as he spoke, "I won't offer you comfort, but I do have the ability to save you."Both of their gazes met. Chloe inexplicably felt that his words made perfect sense. A true man never spoke in a flowery language but takes direct action and is decisive.In that instant, she was awash by a surge of gratefulness and said solemnly, "Thank you.""You should solve your problems as soon as possible. That would be the real gratitude toward me," he replied.Every now and then, she found herself in trouble. Though she could handle it, her body was no longer able to bear the strain.When Chloe heard what Joseph said
"Nothing… I just wanted to ask if you have any plans today. I want to treat you to a meal," Chloe said."Sorry, I can't today," replied Joseph.Chloe's heart sank a little. Although she already knew the answer, she still asked, "Why not?""I have to accompany Grandpa for his check-up," he explained.She was stunned for a moment and asked nervously, "Is everything all right with Grandpa?""He has a heart condition, so he goes for regular check-ups. Nothing to worry about," he reassured her."I'll go see him after I'm discharged from the hospital. I haven't visited him in two weeks," she said.While the engagement party was important, it paled in comparison to the importance of Harold's well-being. Therefore, it was understandable that Joseph chose to accompany his grandfather for his medical check-up.Joseph lifted his gaze and smirked. "Grandpa didn't spoil you for nothing.""Well, he treats me kindly, so of course, I have to treat him back with the same level of kindness," Ch
Emily stood there stunned, looking at Patrick and then at the Rolls-Royce parked beside him. The awkwardness was evident.She forced a smile, suppressing the urge to dig a hole and bury herself in it. "Well, from this perspective, your husband’s not too bad. At least he knows to find someone to pick you up."Chloe smiled wryly. "He's unpredictable."She just could not read Joseph's mind.Emily patted Chloe on the shoulder. "I think you still have a chance. You should keep trying.""Don't console me. Last time, I almost got kicked out because I listened to your advice!" Chloe blushed and spoke in a low voice that only Emily could hear. "When I undressed in front of that man, he didn't even bat an eyelid. He's either too experienced or impotent."No matter the case, he was someone she could not handle.However, Emily did not share the same view as Chloe. Taking practical action was always more convincing than sweet talk. Chloe might not have won Joseph's heart, but she had at leas
The box was half opened, and at the center of the box sat the finely-crafted diamond ring—a possession Chloe’s mother had brought with her from her family's home.Chloe smiled but said nothing, unsurprised by Ava's actions.'Does she really think she'll get me to let her go just by returning this one item to me? How absurd.'When her mother passed away, Chloe had been young. She could not remember how much her mother had bequeathed her in the will. The exact amount had not been specified in the contract, and she had always felt that something was amiss.But being young at the time, she could not fully grasp the significance of the situation. Now, however, she was aware that her money had been completely taken from her, and she was convinced that it was worth much more than what Ava was offering her."What? You want more?" Ava sneered, feeling disgusted by Chloe's insatiable greed.Chloe's expression darkened as she spoke her next words clearly, "Of course, I want more. All of thi
Chloe stared at Jake's furious face, her eyelids twitching with a tremendous sense of pleasure.Instead of answering immediately, she casually tucked the strands of hair falling on her forehead behind her ear and grinned arrogantly. "You already know, huh?"As she had suspected, Joseph must have learned about her past relationship with Jake when he saved her from miles away that day. She just could not understand why he had not mentioned it.Chloe felt an indescribable itch in her heart. The result was much better than she had anticipated."How shameless can you be?!" Jake's chest hurt with anger. Unable to control his emotions, his voice was loud, and the guests around them gave him strange looks."Why are you shouting at me for no reason?" Chloe said, looking innocent like a harmless little rabbit.The crowd did not understand the situation, but some recognized her."Hey, isn't that Benjamin’s youngest?""Benjamin has two daughters? I always thought Ava was his only daughter.
Icarus pondered for a moment before saying solemnly, "Not yet, Chloe. Someday, maybe, but not now."Yesterday, he had learned many things, including how the Johnsons had treated her in the past. He had visited her at the hospital because he did not have the courage to tell her that he was Jake's uncle.He worried that his relationship with Jake would push Chloe away from him. He had no intention to come to the engagement party today, but while he was at lunch today, he figured that Chloe might come so he came to check on her. To his surprise, she really was here.Chloe could not quite understand his concern. She shrugged indifferently and said, "It's okay. Whatever relationship I had with the Johnsons and Jake is in the past. You don't have to worry."Furthermore, Icarus and Chloe were simply friends. Even if Icarus was related to Jake, it would not matter as they simply would not have any further contact in the future. What she was unaware of was that the more she acted indifferen
All of the guests looked at Ava and Jake in confusion.The couple’s faces turned bright red in embarrassment."Turn it off now!" Benjamin roared at the emcee.The emcee realized that something was wrong and immediately notified the staff to turn off the big screen.The next second, a short burst of noise came from the speakers lining the hall, and the sounds of Ava crying started playing, "Coco, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I love Jake too much. Please don't blame him.""Ava, don't say such silly things. It's not your fault. I just couldn't control myself and wanted you. Now that it's out in the open, it's actually better. I wanted to break up with Coco long ago, but she’s been too busy with work and I never had a chance to explain to her. You're more suitable for me, Ava.""Oh, my God…"The crowd was in an uproar, and chaos ensued. "Seriously? Chloe and Jake used to be a couple?""Holy moly, he's amazing. He made both Benjamin's daughters his girlfriends!""It's Ava who snatch
Chloe was stunned and immediately turned around.However, she saw no trace of Joseph. Instead, she spotted Icarus. She patted her chest and let out a long sigh of relief. "You must be seeing things. You scared me!""I wasn't seeing things," Emily insisted, but in the next second, Icarus vanished before she could point him out. She began to doubt herself. "Could I really be seeing things?""Of course. You've been running back and forth between the hospital and the office while also making time for your boyfriend. It's normal to experience some eye impairment," Chloe said with a smile. "Once I finish up what I'm working on, I'll treat you well.""Are you sure Jake's uncle wasn’t here today?" Emily asked, her face stern.After dropping Chloe off at the hotel, Emily went to meet up with her boyfriend. Upon her return, Emily scanned the table where Jake's older relatives were sitting but did not spot Icarus."Nope. I'm sure he didn't come today. Today was his grandfather's check-up da
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