"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?
There were surveillance cameras in Vanya’s room, so she could only ask Vanya questions once she was out of there. It had been three days since Chloe had stood Joseph up. Since then, she and Noah had gone to the bridal shop to finalize the wedding dress. She offered no opinions on other wedding matters. According to the scheduled date, the wedding would take place on May 6th, and today was April 20th.In other words, she had another 16 days.Chloe was running out of time, and the unknown loomed over her like a guillotine. She did not know when the blade would fall, and she was uncertain if the person beside her was with or against her. Anxiety and bewilderment merged into a tidal wave, pushing her toward the brink. To get everything ready and make sure that Noah would not be suspicious, she had not gone to work.Zoelle shrugged indifferently and said, "If you like. My job is just to watch over the patient.""Could you help me tell the helpers that I'm going to change my clothes fi
“I have no idea—"Chloe tightened her grip and said impatiently, "You’re still lying to me at this point? Seems to me like you don’t wish to live anymore.”"Ack… Ack!"Being suffocated caused Vanya to gag uncontrollably. Her pale face had turned from red, then to purple. It would not be long before she ran out of air. She struggled with all her might, but her frail body failed her. However, she understood that her current greatest value lay in not Duskfall or Noah’s secrets. It was in Chloe and Joseph's child. If she told Chloe the location of her kid, Noah would not spare her.Since death was inevitable either way, why compromise now?Chloe had underestimated Vanya. Though Duskfall had abandoned her, Vanya gritted her teeth and kept her silence, refusing to utter a single word.Seeing this, Chloe's impatience grew and her anger consumed her. She clenched her teeth and said, "Fine, I'll fulfill your wish."They were each waiting for the other to give in.Chloe's eyes turned blo
Vanya was concerned over drawing Noah's notice, thus she maintained a vigilant watch on the courtyard. Fortunately, he simply gave his car keys to the helper and went upstairs.She let out a sigh of relief and continued, "If you ask Noah to treat me and send me abroad, I'll tell you of your child's whereabouts. How about it?"Chloe stared at Vanya. "I want to know which city my child is in right now."Gritting her teeth, Vanya revealed, "He's in Docwood. Lightning will strike me if I’m lying to you."*The helper sent Vanya back to her room, and Chloe went to wash her face. When the cold water splashed onto her skin, it brought with it a surreal sensation of stinging. Leaving the bathroom, she slipped under her bed covers. Though it was warm, she felt cold. When Noah went to call her for dinner, he discovered that she had a high fever. An unusual redness had spread across her fair skin and her lips were slightly cracked. Curled up in bed, she resembled an injured little animal.
Chloe scrolled through Eustace's profile. She did not learn much about him, and the only thing suspicious was his daughter's appearance. Following what Vanya had said, she believed that this little girl was likely Xavia and Eustace's daughter. And judging by the photos, the girl was about six at most.Xavia had been with Joseph for over five years...Next, Chloe operated secretly and reduced her interactions with Noah by avoiding going to the office. She made an excuse, saying that she wanted to have a bachelorette party, and had Emily come to the Sullivan estate to take her out for a few days. Chloe reported her daily schedule to Noah. But after three days, she figured that Noah would drop his suspicions.After she and Emily had lunch, they headed to Eustace's house. The residential area had strict security and they needed an access card to enter. Emily and Chloe staked out in their car for quite a while before finally spotting Eustace coming out with his daughter to buy snacks."