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."
Chuckling, Chloe said, "Xavia isn't someone you can describe with just the words 'troublemaker.'"Ophelia ignored Chloe. In her mind, Xavia and Chloe were cut from the same cloth. One was after her father while the other snatched her brother. Both of them were detestable. "I'm only 2 weeks along. I'll be fine," Xavia said as she shook her head at Carolina. She then took a gift out and said gently, "I heard you haven’t been feeling well lately, but I didn’t know what to bring since you have everything in the royal palace, so here's a simple herb. I hope you'll like it."Perplexed, Carolina glanced at Kenneth for a moment before accepting the gift.Seizing his chance, Kenneth said, "Mom, Vee has held on to this herb for several years. She even refused to take it during her chemotherapy.""Geez, it's just a herb. It's like the radishes in the kitchen, not the stars in the sky. Is it necessary to praise it so much?" Ophelia scoffed sarcastically. Kenneth felt embarrassed. "It’s not
Chloe shrugged and said, "For now, we can't say for certain if she's Xavia's daughter, but the odds are pretty high."As for whether it was a second marriage, she believed that Eustace should know that better than anyone else. In any case, her first marriage was definitely not to Joseph."Bullshit. Look at the kid. She's a splitting image of Xavia. Anyone with eyes could tell that!" Ophelia’s fury grew the more she thought about it. She snatched Chloe's phone and said, "I can't wait anymore. I have to reveal Xavia's true colors to Ken."Chloe was taken aback by Ophelia's sudden actions. By the time she realized what had happened, Ophelia had already disappeared from sight. Her brows furrowed, but she soon relaxed as a thought crossed her mind.Meanwhile, Ophelia led Kenneth into a room. She showed him the photos on Chloe's phone and said, "Take a good look. That’s the daughter of your beloved Vee. You didn't know about it, did you?"Kenneth took a good look at the photos. The gi
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