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
Standing up, Noah fixed his gaze on Chloe and tilted his head in confusion. "Don't you want to know where your child is? Let's go ask Vanya then."Chloe gulped and forced herself to calm down. "Okay, let's go."Zoelle sized up the pair, then took the lead. "Let's go. I'll report on the results of the treatment as well."Chloe blinked and cautiously asked, "Are you planning to leave Docwood?""I don't know yet. Since things are wrapping up on your end, I'm considering where to go next."Vanya's illness was no ordinary ailment. It was a chronic intrusion that required careful management. Complete recovery would take up to three years, during which she would need constant medication to maintain proper bodily functions. If Zoelle was to accompany every patient throughout their entire treatment, she should switch careers and become a caregiver instead.On the top floor, Vanya sat in a chair, her gaze fixed on the TV in front of her. Chloe followed her line of sight to the screen. The