Joseph was a few steps quicker, and Noah was stopped outside the room. He knocked on the door and a house helper answered."Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Noah?" "Am I not allowed inside?""Not at the moment. Mr. Desmond ordered it so."Noah faked a smile and did not leave. "Why Joseph is in there, why can't I go in?"The helper could feel Noah's intimidation, and he bowed his head. "Please don't make things difficult for me. I can’t read Mr. Desmond's thoughts. Please just wait. Don't worry, he surely wouldn’t side with an outsider."Noah had always been this way. The usually gentle Noah would turn into a whole different person when it came to Chloe.Noah's expression softened slightly. "Okay, I'll wait downstairs."Fifteen minutes later, Joseph and Desmond came out of the room. Noah got up and walked to Desmond to show his support to the latter. "Grandpa."Desmond gave him a reproachful look, and the atmosphere became inexplicably dull. "I'll be taking her then,
It was unknown if Noah took Desmon’s advice seriously. He kept his head low and took a step back, letting the shadows hide his expression. He whispered, "I understand."Desmond shook his head helplessly. "You've always been smart and could differentiate between right and wrong. You should lead Coco forward and forget about the past. There’s no need to fill all of Coco's requests. Do you understand?"Being nice to someone was no guarantee that the person would treat you in kind."That’s what I want too, Grandpa.""I know, so you have to be the one to pull Coco out. Men should put up a strong front when the time calls for it. You're just too docile. You shouldn’t always listen to Coco. You guys are about to get married. How about you two go on a trip and not let the recent events affect you? And don't worry about the company. Exotic Star won't go downhill just because of public opinion." One was his granddaughter and the other was his adopted grandson that had grown up with him. He
“Wow, Ms. Chloe. We had no idea you were a real-life rich, noble lady.""I'm sure you'll become a part of the royal family after tonight's party.""You’ve reached the moon before even hitting thirty, and you’re so pretty and capable. I'm so jealous of you!""All right, that’s enough. This isn’t just because she’s lucky. It’s because she’s hard-working too."Chloe smiled and sent her colleagues off before sitting down to work. After they left, Frieda came in and consoled Chloe, "Don't be nervous. Tonight’s your show. Lead it and show those who look down on you what's what." "I'm not nervous. I just feel like I’m being put on the spot."Chloe originally had no wish to be associated with the royal family, but now, she had to clarify her stand. If she admitted her relationship to Callum, she might have no choice in becoming part of the royal family.Frieda smiled. "You have the choice to decide if you want to be a part of the royal family or not.""Are you saying that I can clarif
Joseph clenched his wine glass so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He shot Otto with a fierce glare. "Shut up."Otto smiled fearlessly. "This is the first time I’m seeing such a vivid expression on that poker face of yours. You're jealous. How interesting!"Joseph’s deep possessiveness over Chloe made him yearn to ruin all the men who even laid their eyes on her.Otto tried to keep his wild thoughts at bay. His father had picked the wrong person. It would have been great if he had sought out Chloe instead. Xavia was simply no comparison.Joseph calmed down and a scorn spread across his face. "I think you should worry about yourself instead. After all, you might just drop dead one day." Otto became unruffled. "It's a slow-acting drug. I won't die. Vanya had managed to survive all these years, right?""Let’s hope you're as lucky as her," Joseph commented lightly before entering the hall.Otto froze, then scanned the party attendees. Unfortunately, he did not see Zoelle any
Kenneth frowned. He found Otto frivolous and unsuitable for his sister.Ophelia was not bothered with chatting with him though. "Come on, Otto, let’s go inside. The party's about to start.""Yeah, let’s go inside. You can speak to Leah in private about these matters. She's not a child anymore, and you should show her some courtesy." Xavia stepped in just in time to mediate the situation, putting up a gentle and considerate facade.Kenneth pursed his lips and, although unhappy, agreed to let it go.Unknown if Carolina was doing it on purpose, she brought Chloe around with her and introduced her to the other members of the royal family. And Chloe did not embarrass Carolina, greeting everyone amiably."Mdm. Carolina, you're too kind to the girl. Her mother is just a commoner. What's more, she hasn’t been given a noble title. You don't have to care so much about her." A grandly-dressed woman looked at Chloe in disdain.Carolina frowned and whispered, "Stop this nonsense at once.""I
“Whatever. After all, I'll be part of the royal family while you'll always be a shameful bastard child.""Good luck."Chloe could not be bothered with Xavia and turned around to look for Noah. Her indifference filled Xavia with annoyance.Just then, Chloe locked eyes with Joseph. She tucked away a few strands of her hair behind her ear and looked away calmly as if he was just a stranger. Joseph clenched his fists tightly and texted her. She glanced at the text, the few words he typed out clearly showing his unhappiness.[Come to the backyard.]Chloe put away her phone and snorted. 'Dream on.'Before long, Callum appeared. And as Frieda had anticipated, he led Chloe to the center of the hall and solemnly and formally introduced Chloe as his daughter. He also said that he had yet to get to know Carolina at the time so, as his legal wife, she had nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone had surmised as much, so they were not very surprised. "From this day forth, Chloe has my full suppor
The conversation made Chloe agitated. ‘My God! She actually dares to drug Joseph?’ Clara was unscrupulous when it came to gaining wealth, which made her even bolder than Xavia. At least, Xavia advanced orderly and tried to use a baby to bind Joseph to her. Clara was on a different level. She was trying to manipulate her body.But did Joseph look like a man who could be seduced through bodily charms? How naive!This was going to be a good show.Chloe wanted to watch the whole thing play out and enthusiastically texted Joseph to ask him where he was."I'm right behind you." Feeling his cold breath on the back of her neck, she was stunned. She whipped around and found him standing within inches of her. They were so close that she could feel his breath and smell his unique scent.A little startled, Chloe took a step back and almost slipped and fell. Fortunately, Joseph managed to catch her by the waist and held on to her."Coward." His cold voice was filled with a strange note of
Chloe suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, wondering how she had never noticed his shamelessness. "Shut up. Clara will be heading this way soon.""Even better if she does." Joseph adjusted his clothes, showing a trace of cold indifference.Chloe blinked and pointed to the side. She said with a touch of mischief in her tone, "I'll be right over there enjoying the show."A faint smile played on Joseph's lips. "Good girl."Chloe tiptoed to the side and crouched down."Oh, you’re here, Mr. Joseph!" Clara's surprised voice soon rang out."Yes? You’re looking for me?""No, we just happened to bump into each other. Fate must’ve brought us together." Despite Joseph's silence and refusal to acknowledge her, Clara feigned care and continued, "There can be many mosquitoes around here at night. Here, let me spray some mosquito repellent on you."Joseph glanced at Clara indifferently and did not stop her. Chloe could tell he was holding his breath to avoid inhaling the spray."I'll spray
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