Blocking the doorway, Noah said as he stared at her, "Coco, please don’t provoke me. The consequences could be severe.""Putting sleeping pills in my water, taking my phone, locking me up, and sending my grandfather away… Who’s the one provoking whom?!""And do I not have reasons to do all this?" Despite his soft chuckle, Noah’s teeth clenched tightly. "Do you want me to say out loud the things you and Joseph were up to last night? Don't you find it embarrassing and disgraceful, or are you just used to it already?"Noah and Chloe had publicly acknowledged their relationship. Even before their engagement, they were already known as a couple. And while in that role, she maintained a questionable relationship with her ex-husband, causing him embarrassment on multiple occasions. The first time he discovered them doing such things, he believed she was forced and forgave her. But what about the second time? And the third? Did she not know how to say no? Why would she refuse to cut off con
At Fairlight, Ophelia stormed into Joseph's office. Ignoring Lucas, she shouted, "Where’s Chloe? I have a few choice words for her!"Chloe disappeared last night, and Ophelia could not reach her. Chloe did not answer her calls, nor did she reply to any of her messages. They had agreed to cooperate, but Chloe suddenly went off the grid.Ophelia could not tolerate the frustration, especially after watching Xavia preen like a peacock and play the violin all night. It annoyed her to no end. The worst part was that the uncultured commoners around her thought that Xavia had played well. Even after calling again today, Ophelia’s calls still went unanswered. She did not want to lose her temper, but she could not hold back anymore. She would not tolerate such disrespect. Joseph lifted his gaze from the pile of documents on his desk. His expression was calm as he asked, "Why are you looking for her?""Something urgent, of course. Just tell me where she is.""Don't you have her number?"
As soon as he had finished speaking, the helpers surrounded Chloe and unceremoniously pushed her into a room, leaving her with no opportunity to think or resist. This time, Noah had decided to lock her up in his room.Chloe felt perplexed as she stared at the helpers standing before her. As they followed Noah’s orders in such a respectful manner, she wondered if they had been brainwashed. She felt like an intruder in her own house."Coco, the fact that I managed to save you five years ago means that I have the power to lock you up again," Noah said. He sat next to her and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. His movements were gentle, yet the words that came out of his mouth chilled Chloe to the bone.A wave of unprecedented nausea washed over Chloe. She pushed him away and said, "Have you finally decided to shed your pretense?" Hearing the word "pretense," Noah's face sank. "You see my kindness toward you as an act? Coco, I'm disappointed in you.""Was killing my child
From behind Joseph, Ophelia grumbled, "Why not install an elevator? Climbing stairs is so exhausting."Noah signaled to a nearby helper through the corner of his eye and the latter immediately positioned themselves at the doorway. "Ms. Chloe isn't feeling well and is asleep right now. Allow me to show you to the next room for some tea.""She's sick? What a coincidence. It just so happens that I brought a doctor with me," Joseph said. He clapped his hands and a man in a white coat promptly appeared.Putting on a fake smile, Noah continued, "We have our own doctor, so your service isn’t needed. Coco has fallen asleep, so let's not make a ruckus here and wake her up. The tea is ready. Please follow me.""I don't have time for tea. I have something important to ask Chloe. Go wake her up," Ophelia said as she looked at her watch impatiently."Xavia's not pregnant."Ophelia's eyes brightened. "Really? Is it confirmed?""Yes. Anything else you want to ask?""No, but where's the eviden
Noting the change in Joseph's expression, a hint of a smile played on Noah’s lips. He opened the bedroom door and entered.At five in the evening, Chloe had yet to come out of her room. Joseph had contemplated multiple times to just barge in and clarify things. Seeing how unforgiving she was toward him, she surely would not forgive Noah either.With that thought in mind, Joseph calmed himself. Holding onto his last hope, he briskly walked up to the door. He hoped that Chloe would not wholeheartedly believe Noah just because of his confession. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but before his knuckles made contact, he heard Chloe's voice from inside."Of course, I love you. Whenever I see Joseph, the only things I feel are disgust and nausea. We're about to get married, so stop talking about him, all right?""Alright, I’ll stop, but he's outside right now and has been waiting for you for a long time. Won't you go out and see him?""No, I've already said that I don't want to s
The girl followed the club owner's instructions and sat next to Joseph. She was both excited and scared. After all, the man before her was Joseph Whitman, the unrivaled figure in Docwood's business world. If she could please him, her status would undoubtedly rise. She might not be able to marry him, but becoming his kept woman was always an option."Let's drink, Mr. Joseph," the girl said as she leaned into Joseph.Joseph looked up, his icy gaze falling on her face like a blade. But suddenly, he looked stunned, and his gaze lingered on her for a few moments. The girl felt a rush of excitement and said, "Mr. Joseph, my name’s Guinevere. You can just call me Gwen."Joseph opened his mouth and said, "Get lost."Guinevere was taken aback. She rested her wine glass on the table and asked, "Did I do something wrong? Please tell me. I can change.""You made a mistake the moment you said such disgusting words with that face," Joseph said, his face dark, "You're not emulating her. You're
"You're right," Joseph said as his eyes were tinged with self-blame. "I wasn't in the right frame of mind and didn’t think things over carefully."Given how much Chloe valued the child, it was unlikely that she would give up just based on Noah's one-sided words. Even if she disliked Joseph, she would at least clarify things with Vanya."Really? You finally noticed something’s fishy?" Samuel's eyes lit up. "Give me 7 million as a consultation fee and I'll continue analyzing the case for you."Gabriel grinned. "I'll give you a discount, 6 million dollars. I can analyze the case too, and I'm equally as good as Sam."Birds of a feather flock together, after all, meaning that these men were as intelligent as the next. It was just that Samuel used his brain on cracking legal cases while Gabriel used his in more…personal pursuits.Joseph side-eyed his two friends, his cold gaze chilling the atmosphere. It was clear that their attempt at lightening the mood had failed. Seeing his reaction
Joseph’s lips pressed into a tight line and his fists clenched in frustration as the answer came to him—Noah must have witnessed their intimate moment. But it was never Chloe’s intention to do such a thing, so both of them harbored resentment. In a fit of anger, they must have confronted each other.The door to the private room swung open, and Lucas entered with Emily. They were both panting heavily."Sir, they refused to let us in,” Lucas said."Noah didn't come out, and the house helpers said they were asleep. The helper also said Noah’s going on a business trip tomorrow morning and told me to come back another day," Emily reported anxiously, her face flushed. "What happened to Coco? Did something happen? She’s at the Sullivan manor, so she should be safe…"Joseph looked at Vince. Receiving Joseph's signal, Vince tugged at Zoelle's clothes as he said slyly, "Come on, I'll take you back to the bar and we’re going to party it up.""It's almost dawn. The bar’s closing soon, you sil
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