A flicker of shock crossed Ava's beautiful face as she asked, "Who told you that? Was it Coco?""Just answer my question," Jake slowed down and spoke gently, "I'm doing this for our future.""If you were doing this for our future, then you wouldn’t be asking me such a question!" Ava said, her eyes filled with tears.Seeing her cry, Jake immediately found a tissue to wipe her tears and asked, "What's wrong?""Did Coco tell you that I took the money her mother left behind?" Ava asked, her voice choking up.Jake was silent for a moment before answering, "Yes, she said that as long as you return the money—""You’d believe her over me?" Ava interrupted him with a trembling voice, "Am I a greedy person who would covet other people's inheritance in your eyes?""That's not what I’m trying to say. You're misunderstanding me. I didn't mean—" Jake tried to explain, but Ava cut him off."Stop talking. I thought two people should trust one another when they’re engaged. I had no idea you wou
Chloe could not help but chuckle. "Judging by our age, you should be calling me ‘big sister.’"Adam had changed his hairstyle to dreadlocks since she last saw him a few days ago, giving him a rougher appearance that resembled that of a hooligan. However, there was a certain youthful and delicate quality to his finely chiseled features that hinted he was about nineteen to twenty-one years old.He was certainly younger than Ava, and Chloe did not know if he was aware of Ava's age, or if he just preferred women older than him."Will you give me your number if I call you ‘big sister?’""I’m not in the habit of calling random people my brother," Chloe replied coolly before returning her attention to her work, dismissing him as if he were a kid. "You should go now. We have work to do. If your father sees you here, he'll probably scold you."It had been a long time since someone dared to dismiss him like this. The corner of Adam's lips twitched as he said, "My dad doesn't care about me.
Samuel was completely taken aback.The Joseph he knew had no interest in women, let alone stepping forward in public and acting as a hero to save a damsel in distress. So why would he take the initiative to help this girl?'Hold on a moment! He didn't just rescue her. He also admitted to being the young, handsome, and wealthy man this girl was talking about! It's absurd how he's willing to sacrifice his pride just to save her. That's some extreme level of narcissism.‘But hang on… Something’s not quite right here. Is this girl Chloe?'Samuel's suspicions were confirmed as he observed Joseph and Chloe.Chloe and Adam turned their heads simultaneously. The man before them was clad in an expensive black suit. He was tall and slim with eyebrows that curved like crescents. The high position of his nose bridge and tightly pursed lips gave him a distant, almost unapproachable air. His deep-set eyes were dark and emotionless, yet his gaze was icy and cold as he stared at Adam.The latter
Chloe blinked her eyes, meeting Lily's curious gaze."I cook for him because I'm his maid," she explained.They lived under the same roof. They were devoid of the love and affection that a married couple shared, but they shared the mundane chores of daily life. Was that not what a maid did?If she was not a maid, then what was she?Lily was stunned. "You're his maid?" she parroted."Yeah. Do I not look like one?"Lily knew that wealthy families would often have strict requirements when hiring maids, but someone as beautiful as Chloe was a rare find. She could not help but feel a little disappointed. A person who could make the CEO of Patterson personally come out to greet them must be extraordinary in some way.Besides, his height was perfect, his appearance was impeccable, and he had an extraordinary air about him. He was the dream man of every woman in the world.But unfortunately, he was not Chloe's boyfriend."Why did you refuse to give Adam your number? If you could get t
Chloe looked at her phone skeptically and said, "Strange. I haven't even started hailing a ride yet.""That's because I arrived just in time. Neither too early nor too late," Icarus replied.Her cherry lips parted in surprise. "You came specifically to pick me up?""Mhmm." he nodded.Seeing the perplexed expression on Chloe's face, Icarus paused for a moment before explaining, "I was having dinner nearby with Harry and saw on his social media that you were also in the area.""I see…""I thought it might be inconvenient for you to hail a ride at this time of night, so I came to offer you a ride home," Icarus continued."It's already so late, and it'll be midnight by the time we arrive at my place," she pointed out."It's fine. I've been having trouble sleeping these past few days and usually stay up late," Icarus said.At this point, Chloe found no reason to refuse his kind offer.*Joseph took Toto for a walk, but as soon as they left the villa, Toto sat on the ground, panti
Joseph stared at her intensely, his anger rising as he let out a sarcastic laugh. "Did you ask me to pick you up?""Would you have if I had asked?" she shot back.Joseph fell silent. The answer was no. But if he had known that Chloe could not get a ride and had to be brought home by another man, he would have gone to get her. After all, this woman was so foolish that she would not realize if someone was going to harm her.Seeing that he was unresponsive, Chloe had her answer. She forced a bitter smile, turned around, and headed toward the residential area.Joseph frowned and handed her the leash.Chloe looked at the leash and asked, "What do you mean by this?""I haven't walked the dog yet today," he said."You haven't walked the dog this late?!" Chloe exclaimed."Well, you should've come back earlier," he replied curtly.Chloe took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to argue with him. She grabbed the leash and headed toward the garden at the back of the residential area.
The neighborhood was quiet despite being in a bustling area. There were no people in the surrounding area, especially at night.To be honest, there was nothing she could do if the middle-aged man in front of her decided to do anything to her.Chloe's palms were sweating, but she did not back down. "What are you going to do to me if I say it again? I did nothing wrong. You were the one who failed to keep an eye on your dog, and now you have the audacity to shift the blame on me. The regulations in Aesper prohibit the ownership of German Shepherds. I have the right to report you."As soon as Chloe said she was going to report him, the man faltered and did not say anything more. He pulled his dog away and quickly left.Chloe let out a sigh of relief and called Joseph to come over.Five minutes later, Joseph arrived. He was wearing a cotton shirt, and his expression was gloomy and terrifying under the night sky."You didn't put Toto on a leash?" he asked."I did. I let it go for a f
Chloe's mind went blank for a few seconds, and when she came around to her senses, her first reaction was that there must have been a misunderstanding."I didn't plagiarize anything. Did you make a mistake, sir?""Even if I made a mistake, do you think Patterson would have made the same mistake? They called me this morning to inform me," her superior retorted."That's impossible, I didn't plagiarize. The latest version was revised according to their requirements. I didn't even have the chance to plagiarize," Chloe said."The proposal you submitted to Patterson has a fifty percent similarity to a proposal on the Internet. What do you have to say about that?" her superior said, clearly not believing in her."Submitted..." Chloe suddenly remembered something and picked up the folder stained with coffee to examine it. After scanning through it, she could not believe what she saw. "This isn't the proposal I revised.""It wasn't written by you, so it must be someone else who's framing
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