In the office, Alfred watched as the dean poured Joseph a cup of coffee. He remained calm. "Mr. Joseph, I know why you’ve come here, but we can't give out patient information. I'm sorry."Lucas was prepared for this. He said politely, "Mr. Alfred, I’ve found that Ms. Chloe isn’t registered to this institute, so she isn’t your patient. It's fine if you tell us about her."Alfred frowned in annoyance while Stella snorted in disdain. These people had even pried into other people’s privacy. How disrespectful. She knew she would choose Noah if she were Chloe.Hearing this, the dean glared at Alfred for being such a disappointment. "Don’t be stubborn. There's nothing you can't say. Mr. Joseph is worried about his friend. Just tell us about her condition." "Ms. Chloe has depression." Alfred stared at Joseph, signaling with his eyes. "Her marriage to Mr. Joseph five years ago caused her great trauma. My student brought her here for treatment."A bitter feeling invaded Joseph. "And you’re
It was now July, and the temperature in Docwood during nighttime was around 37 degrees. The air outside was hot and stuffy, but the inside of the car was about 20 degrees. The driver drove with a steady hand, so it was no different from being at home. But over the usually one-hour car ride, Desmond repeatedly urged the driver to hurry up. The driver became quite anxious and sweated profusely.Forty minutes later, as Desmond stepped out of the car, he spotted Chloe and Noah standing side by side at the entrance to welcome him home. This scene looked normal. Desmond's tense face eased a little. He supported himself with an expensive-looking walking stick and walked over to them."Did you enjoy your trip, Grandpa? When I saw the photos you posted on your social media, I felt like taking a break from the company and taking Coco on a trip,” Noah asked as he went forward, smiling happily."It was all right.” Desmond then pivoted and asked, "Are you and Coco ready? The wedding will be in
"No, sir... Mr. Noah ordered me to do this. I'm just a housekeeper and dare not ask too much about my master’s private affairs."Knowing what was going on, Desmond did not believe George's excuse. "Collect your salary from finance for this month and leave." George's expression fell, never having dreamt of such serious consequences. He got on his knees. "Sir, please give me a chance to turn over a new leaf. I've been working here diligently for more than ten years.""You’ve taken the wrong person as your master. I can't keep you." Desmond lost his patience. He waved to signal George to get out. George trembled, but he did not dare to say anymore. Looking at the old man, he felt as if he had ruined himself through the mistake he had made. Desmond's reputation made others assume he was a kind old man. They forgot that he was the one who single-handedly established his business in traditional jewelry in Ameria in his younger days.Desmond did not deal with Noah right away. He instea
Noah’s eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure."After dinner last night, Desmond said he was tired and returned to his room to rest. He did not discuss anything with Noah.Chloe was shocked. It meant that Desmond was hiding this from everyone else. Was he about to announce something big? He had even kept this hidden from the two of them.She sat next to Noah while the seat at the head of the table was Desmond's.After some time, Desmond walked in."Everyone, sorry to keep you waiting. I met an old friend on my way here and was delayed." He put his walking stick down and took the main seat."Don’t worry, we haven’t been waiting long.”"It’s rare for us to see you, sir. It's worthwhile no matter how long we wait.""Yes, it's our honor to see you. Mr. Desmond, have you had breakfast? I got this for you. It's the bun from the restaurant downstairs you used to love.”Everyone fawned over Desmond. The pretentious executives smiled from ear to ear. Worried that he would be displeased, they tri
Noah was silent for a few seconds before saying, "There’s something I haven’t told you about.""Perfect timing. I am free right now." Desmond turned to his assistant. "You can leave. I’m putting you in charge of finalizing the share transfer contract. I’ll sign it with Coco today."*Inside the large office, Desmond sat in an antique chair, toying with the white chess pieces before him. His expression was as calm as a gentle breeze. "Sit and tell me about it."Noah remained standing with his head lowered, "I did something wrong and have upset you. I’ll stand."Desmond was not surprised by Noah's earnest attitude in admitting his mistake and asked, "What happened?""I had a fight with Coco and was worried that you would see it when you got back, so I rashly had George delete the surveillance footage.""Fights between husband and wife are inevitable. There shouldn’t be any need to delete the footage."Noah looked up and met Desmond's piercing gaze. As he trembled, his thoughts be
Chloe wrapped up the small tasks she had on hand and tried to slip out of the office. But in the elevator, she ran into Frieda.Upon recognizing Chloe, Frieda's face filled with concern. "Are you okay, Coco? Joe told me everything.""Huh? What happened to me?" Chloe asked, confusion creasing her brows.Frieda studied Chloe's weary face and dry lips, sensing that her usual vibrant spirit was subdued. Compassion welled within Frieda. "You’re a good girl, Coco. Whether you end up with Joe or not, I hope you’re blessed with health and happiness. Don't force yourself to be with someone you don't love."Chloe nodded but misunderstood Frieda's intentions. She responded with solemn assurance, "You're a good person too, different from Joseph. I have no ties to him anymore. I'll treat you as any other employee at work and won't make things hard for you because of a certain person."Frieda's expression froze. She was unsure how to reply. Chloe's words were not wrong, but they struck her as o
“I like the idea of eliminating Joseph, but the more important question is how do we do it?”"I found out that in two days, Joseph will be heading to Skyreach Memorial Park on Harold’s behalf to pay tribute to Harold’s former comrade. The memorial park is built on a mountaintop, accessible only through a single mountain road. The area is sparsely populated and has poor signal reception. Even if outside were called upon, it’d take some time to get there."This plan to take action at Skyreach Memorial Park was foolproof.Cyrus took a sip of his coffee and smiled. "Are you in a hurry because of your impending marriage to Chloe in three days?"Noah's eyes flickered but he did not refute this. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he had considered all the factors. Now was the most appropriate moment to deal with Joseph."And how will you repay me?""Once Joseph is dead, I'll personally deliver the person you're looking for right into your hands," Noah declared, full of confidence.Frieda ha
"I understand, Father. Leave it to me."Cyrus stood up, smoothed the creases on his clothes, and departed with light steps. It was as if the dark and sickening affairs within the cafe were unrelated to him, and he was left untouched.Watching him leave, Otto positioned the camera and sneered at Noah. "You're still resisting? Xavia, make your move already.”Duskfall never offers a nurturing hand without expecting something in return, and to enjoy the benefits it offers, one must be willing to obey. Xavia would probably be nothing more than a wealthy man's mistress if she had not chosen Duskfall, and her dreams of becoming a renowned violinist would remain unfulfilled. Xavia was well aware of all this as the moment she entered Duskfall, her first lesson was one on gratitude.With a deep breath to calm her nerves, Xavia approached Noah with small, measured steps. She pressed her fair skin against Noah's arm, a delicate touch meant to soothe.“Come on,” she whispered, her voice tinged