As Chloe gazed at Noah's handsome and kind face, scenes of him being by her side filled her mind. Her heart ached, and she dared not imagine his possible connection to Duskfall. She even more so dared not delve deeper and question if he was involved in what had happened five years ago.Despite the warmth of the room, Chloe still felt goosebumps erupt on her skin."What's wrong? You seem lost in thought," Noah asked, his expression unreadable. A flicker of probing could be seen in his eyes."I'm just a little under the weather," Chloe answered as dug her nails into her palm, using the pain to maintain her calm and clarity. "I think I overate during lunch.""The new products are launching soon. You must be under constant pressure at work. How about you take a few days off at home while I help keep an eye on your department?""It’s fine. I'll just go to bed early tonight and sleep in a little tomorrow. I’ll go to work in the afternoon."Noah bent down and looked at her gently, sayin
Chloe wrestled with her thoughts. Did Noah truly love her? If he did, why had he gotten involved with Duskfall and deceived her? There was something unspeakable and unexplainable about the whole situation. Exotic Star had always conducted its business through honest and upright methods and would never collude with an entity like Duskfall. The only possible explanation was that this involvement was related to personal matters.She could not make sense of it, and she did not want to.Feeling exhausted, Chloe rubbed her temples. "Let's talk about this tomorrow, okay? I'm tired and want to sleep."Noah looked at her silently for a moment, then put his smile back on. "Okay, rest well. If you feel unwell, just call me."After leaving her room, he went straight to the wing. "Has Chloe been here in the past few days?"One of the helpers in charge of caring for Vanya respectfully replied, "She came by yesterday."Noah's expression changed, and his usually gentle voice suddenly turned cold
Joseph noticed the dark circles under Chloe's eyes, evidence that she had not slept well last night. He said in a solemn tone, "I don’t know everything, but I can assure you that it was Noah and Duskfall that had planned that hospital fire five years ago.”Chloe was stunned and her eyes blazed. "He’s one of my child’s murderers?""Yes.""But... why..."Noah had always treated her with such kindness. He had helped get her overseas, accompanied her, and even brought her back to the Sullivan family. He gave her a home she had always dreamed of. Joseph's eyes flashed with a hint of regret, but he still revealed to her what he had discovered. "On the day of the fire, the lines to the fire department were tied up for twenty minutes. This delay had allowed the fire to spread. As for Noah, he arrived within ten minutes after the fire started. Regardless of whether he’s familiar with the hospital's layout, and unless he was already nearby and within a kilometer of the hospital, he couldn'
Chloe had heard about this from Joseph, but hearing it from a child gave off a different feeling. Children were naturally innocent and incapable of lying.At that moment, her impression of Noah changed again.Jasper was clever and quick-witted, and he knew the progress of Joseph and Chloe's relationship. Since Chloe showed up at Fairlight, it proved her heart was leaning toward his dad.He rolled his eyes and pinched his thigh, forcing himself to squeeze out two drops of tears. He said pitifully, "Your fiance also told me I should stop looking for you. Ms. Chloe, do you not like me? If you don't like me, I’ll stop bothering you.”Lucas' eyes widened in shock. Was this the same little devil he knew, now whining and acting cute? Why was he being such an obedient child in front of Ms. Chloe?“Don’t cry. Of course, I like you.” Chloe's heart melted. She hurriedly bent down to wipe his tears and comforted him softly.Jasper nodded earnestly. “I knew you wouldn’t, Ms. Chloe, so it must
"Grandfather, you should've told me you were coming." Chloe was not surprised. Given the note she had left for him this morning, his coming and questioning her was well within her expectations.Desmond remained composed. "Well, tell me then."Chloe took a seat. "What do you think of Noah?""In what respect?""In terms of character."Desmond gazed at her, stating earnestly, "If Noah’s character was problematic, I would not have given him full control of Exotic Star. Coco, you know that I've always treated him like my own grandson, so you don't have to worry about these things.""But people change.""Speak directly. You don't need to beat around the bush with me.""I've come to realize that I don’t understand Noah. Despite knowing him for so long, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. He appears gentle, polite, and impeccably perfect. Doesn't he have any flaws?"Desmond chuckled lightly, suddenly understanding something. "Of course, everyone has flaws, but we tend to pr
Sure enough, she had visited Fairlight this morning.*In the evening, Chloe left work early as she did not wish for Noah’s company. As she parked the car at the manor, she noticed the house helper responsible for making Vanya’s medicine about to discard a bunch of perfectly good herbs."Hey, wait! Why are you throwing away these herbs? They’re still usable, aren't they?"The helper put down the tray and explained in a respectful tone, "This was Mr. Noah’s instructions. He said they're no longer needed."Her brow twitched as she inquired further, "But the patient hasn't fully recovered yet. How could they not be needed?"The helper seemed perplexed. "I'm not sure. You could ask Mr. Noah when he returns."Chloe hurriedly went to check on Vanya, who had visibly deteriorated without her daily medicine. She recalled Zoelle saying that the medication should not be discontinued during treatment as it could lead to setbacks and possibly even adverse reactions.Feeling increasingly res
Noah stared intently at Chloe, not uttering a word. His eyes dissected her, trying to assess the truth of her words. After what felt like an eternity, he leaned toward her with an unreadable expression on his face. "Coco, how about you tell me the truth?”Putting in so much effort to remain composed, Chloe did not notice the cold sweat seeping down her back. She met his intense gaze, attempting to hold her ground as she retorted, "This is the truth. Don't you trust me?""You're not the kind of person to backtrack unless you encounter an unexpected issue while executing your plans.""Isn't fear of marriage an issue?" Chloe looked at him with a hurt expression, keeping her voice soft and delicate, evoking his urge to protect her. "If Grandfather can't understand me, at least you should..."Noah’s heart ached as he embraced her. His tone had visibly softened as he asked, "Then why did you go to Fairlight this morning?""I went to see Joseph about arranging a time to visit Harold befo
The next morning, the skies were clear and bright. Jasper stood on tiptoes, peering into the distance with a puzzled expression. "Daddy, why isn't Ms. Chloe here yet?"They had agreed to meet at nine, but it was now already half-past.Joseph squinted, trying to hide his disappointment as he replied in a steady tone, "She's not coming.""Why?" Jasper’s little face fell.Just then, Joseph's phone pinged. Jasper quickly leaned in to read the message. As expected, it was from Chloe.[Something came up. I won't be able to make it. Sorry.]He tilted his head in confusion, then looked at his father. "Daddy, how did you know? Did Ms. Chloe tell you beforehand?""No.""But then why—""Kids shouldn’t ask so many questions." Joseph's words were icy, but his usually cool lips carried a faint smile.Jasper blinked, his eyebrows knitting together in skepticism. "Your expression is off. Are you hiding something from me?" Who in the world would be happy instead of angry after being stood up?
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