Chloe turned her head and locked eyes with Joseph. Her face was devoid of expression. Her eyes narrowed slightly and her lips parted, but Jasper quickly interjected, "No, Ms. Chloe isn't married yet. She's not my mother."The waitress smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry. I thought you two were a couple.”This included Jasper, who was dressed in a formal khaki green shirt complete with a small bow tie, looking obedient and handsome. He looked like a miniature version of the man behind him, seemingly destined to grow up to be a heartthrob."It's okay. I'm used to this since I don't have a mother," Jasper said in a serious tone.His words caused Chloe's heart to seize up. On impulse, she found herself wanting to take a family portrait with Joseph. Though Jasper had not requested spicy chicken wings, she could see a desire hidden deep in his eyes. She did not know that what he longed for was not the insignificant chicken wings but the profound need for motherly love and a harmonious family.
Emily scoffed. "I've heard of private hospitals ripping off their patients, but I've never heard of part-time scams. This is ridiculous.”Chloe remained expressionless. Her delicate and beautiful face turned serious, making her look quite intimidating. She had only intended to spend some money. Little did she know that they would make a complete mockery out of her."I do have 150 thousand dollars, but words are just words. You haven't presented any evidence of wrongdoing, so why should I pay you?" she said as she glanced at the time on her phone. "Here's the deal. I know that medical equipment is costly, so let’s call the police to determine if this is a scam or not. I don't mind solving this through legal or private means." "Sure, no problem," the doctor readily said and squinted at the hospital Dean with a sly grin. "Let’s call the police right now. I was starting to worry about the hospital's profit for the month. A fat sheep coming to us for the slaughter sure is a welcome sigh
"What are you talking about? We’re the victims here...""Move." Annoyed, Tyson pushed the sleazy doctor to the side, intending to leave him for last. This kind of thing has happened many times before. Previously, he was occupied with major cases and rarely paid attention to trivial matters like this one. However, he happened to be free today when Joseph messaged Tyson. Even though Joseph had not told him the whole story, he had a general idea of what happened after seeing his colleagues and him heading to the same location.Tyson looked at the man and sighed at his incompetence despite all the years the man had worked as a police officer."Uncle, who is he? Why are you so scared of him?" the sleazy doctor asked cautiously."I don't know, but he's not someone to mess with.""That’s Joseph Whitman, the CEO of the Whitman Group," a younger police officer said, "You're in trouble now."The sleazy doctor and his uncles exchanged glances as their legs went weak and their faces turned
"Mind your own business," Chloe said coldly before turning to Jasper and smiling. "I have to go now. See you later.""See you later, Ms. Chloe. Take care of yourself."Joseph watched Chloe walk away until her graceful figure completely disappeared from his sight. Then, he lowered his gaze to the small hand gripping his thigh tightly. "So why aren’t you letting me chase after her?""No reason. I just think there's something more important right now.""Such as?""That woman named Vanya is locked up in our house. Ask her where Ms. Chloe's child is and whether they're alive or dead. Get the answers and then arrange to meet Ms. Chloe again. Isn't that a better plan?"Joseph froze. "You know about this?" He had been keeping this from Jasper, not expecting him to be so observant."Yeah, I overheard your conversation with Sir Callum," Jasper said as he looked at Joseph earnestly. "I hope to have another friend, a younger sibling, and it doesn’t matter to me if it’s a sister or a brother
Noah's hand came to a halt as his pupils dilated. He burst into mocking laughter.Half-asleep, Chloe opened her eyes and saw Noah. She sat up and said, "You're home."Suddenly, he embraced her, greedily inhaling her fragrance. His grip was rough as if he wanted to fuse her to him.Chloe’s mind cleared, and the strong smell of alcohol entered her nose. "Have you been drinking?""Hush, Coco. Just let me hold you for a while."She blinked, then said, "You should go to sleep. It's quite late.""Are you saying I can't hold you?" A warm breath brushed against Chloe's neck, carrying a discomforting chill that made her hair stand on end. "It's getting late, and you've been drinking. You should get some rest. Did something happen at work? Tell me about it. We can figure it out together. Talking about it will make you feel better."Chloe did not know how to answer so she evaded it. She wanted to comfort him, but she also did not want to be physically close to him."Are you resisting me
As Noah's lips landed on Chloe's cheek, she was startled and abruptly pushed him away."I'm sorry. I'm still not ready..."Her words came out in a rush. She did not understand what was happening to her. She knew she was being selfish, but she could not control it.Noah's expression darkened, a mix of anger and disappointment swirling within him. His suppressed frustration erupted like a volcano. Something inside his head snapped as he threw himself at her, tearing away her flimsy sleepwear."I heard you saying Joseph’s name in your sleep! Am I really that detestable in your eyes?! After five years, do I still have to force my way in?!" Noah shouted, his words filled with a volatile mixture of emotions.Chloe's pupils dilated, and she instinctively covered her exposed chest. "No! Please don't! I didn't reject you intentionally!"She could not explain why Joseph had appeared in her dreams. Also, she understood why Noah had suddenly changed. It turned out she had unintentionally hur
Joseph replied emotionlessly. "She didn't come."Vanya was taken aback. She hesitated for a moment and asked, "Why not? Doesn't she want to know about her child's whereabouts?""Does that concern you?" Vanya choked, but she soon came around and replied sarcastically, "Of course it concerns me. What if you two have a falling out? What if you break your promise after I tell you everything?"Compared to Joseph, she trusted Chloe more since she knew how cold-blooded Joseph was. If he was a kind man, he would not have locked her up at Imperium for five years. Joseph gave her a meaningful glance and pulled out a stack of items from the drawer under his desk. He placed them on the table and said, "Here’s the visa for you to leave the country, some cash, and an ID. You have ten minutes to decide whether you'll talk or not."Vanya was shocked. She hurried over to pick them up, but she stumbled and nearly fell to the floor. She steadied herself and trembled as she picked up the coveted I
Joseph raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "I can do it anytime."“Are you treating me like a child?" Harold's eyes widened in anger as he huffed. If he could deal with her anytime, then why drag it out until now?“Chloe’s planning something as well, and it's halfway done.""I see. So you're waiting in line huh…" Harold nodded.Since Chloe was going to teach Xavia a lesson first, he felt he could wait. After everything was settled, he would step in and wrap things up. He wanted Xavia to know that just because he was old did not mean he had forgotten everything and did not care.When Joseph heard the word "in line," his lips twitched. "I'm going to go on.""Be careful on the road. The path up the mountain is rough. Don't drive into a ditch."Joseph twirled the car keys in his hand and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Without looking back, he said, "I will."As Harold watched Joseph’s receding figure, his heart pounded. He did not know why but he felt anxious and breathless.