Chloe's heart skipped a beat, her breath quickened, and her muscles tensed. "A recording of Vanya? Where is she now?"The only impression she had of Vanya was that the woman always wore an eerie fox mask. Everything else was a blur."She's abroad." Joseph stared into her eyes and frowned. "Don't you remember your promise to her?"Chloe froze. She asked blankly, "When did I promise her anything?"Joseph's frown deepened. "We rescued Vanya from the Sullivan manor together.""I don't remember that. Let's just listen to the recording."Chloe did not want to dwell on the past, nor did she want to verify the truth of his words. Seeing this, Joseph remained silent. He pressed the play button on the recorder, turned up the volume to the maximum, and placed it on the table. At first, Chloe listened attentively, but as she listened, she felt that something was amiss. She wanted to get up and turn off the recording, but he stopped her."Do you not want to listen to the rest?" he asked.
"Get away from me! I'm going home now!" Chloe said.Joseph's gaze irritated her. She reached out and shoved him aside, attempting to make a quick exit."Calm down and listen to the recording first," Joseph said, standing in her way and preventing her from leaving. He was equally distressed."I won't listen to it! It's all fake! Fake!"Her face scrunched up as she covered her ears with her hands. The voices in the recording sounded like the whispers of ghosts. They tore at her flesh and penetrated her bones, causing her great agony.Joseph's jaw tightened. He was even more convinced that Noah had done something terrible to Chloe. However, he had to tell her the answers she longed for deep inside."I know you're suffering, but please hold out a bit longer. We're almost done with the recording. Once you find out who our kid is, I'll stop the recording, all right?"Chloe furrowed her brows. Shaking her head, she begged, "I don't want to... I don't want to listen… I want to go home..
Noah stared at the staircase, his fists clenched and his jaw tightly set. "There's no need for a fight. Just hand over my wife.""Wife? There’s no marriage certificate or wedding ceremony, so how is she your wife?" A cold, deep voice rang out. Given the circumstances, it was a rare sight to find anyone other than Joseph who could maintain such composure.Harold glared at Joseph, torn between exasperation and delight upon witnessing his grandson’s unwavering confidence. He hoped Joseph would be more humble and respectful toward Noah and Desmond, yet he recognized the echoes of his own past self in Joseph's confident demeanor.When Desmond saw Joseph, he shot to his feet, his face livid with rage. "You have a lot of nerve to set fire and abduct my granddaughter in broad daylight!”"I admit my mistake, and I sincerely apologize. If you want to scold or hit me, feel free to do so. I won't fight back.""If you know it's wrong, then why do you do it?" Desmond asked."Because Chloe
When it came to the issues of their relationship, discussing things privately was indeed the better option.Desmond fell silent as his gaze shifted back and forth between Joseph and Noah. Seizing his chance, Harold said, "Come. Let's go to the chess room and sit for a while. We should leave the young folks to resolve their issues.""The reputation of the Sullivans and the safety of my granddaughter is also at stake," Desmond corrected coldly."Yes, yes. You're right. We Whitmans would never shy away from the responsibilities that we have to uphold," Harold said with a smile on his face as he knew that they were in the wrong today.Seeing Noah's persistence, Desmond lapsed into contemplative silence. He remembered that Noah had returned home last night. Though Noah told him that he had gone on a business trip, another thought emerged—the news of Joseph's car accident.With that in mind, Desmond decided to leave with Harold to give the two men some time to talk.Joseph took a seat.
Noah did not stop. He landed punch after punch on Joseph's body, deliberately targeting his wound. Despite his seemingly slender build, Noah possessed great strength. His eyes were red around the rims and his punches were heavy, filled with anger and guilt.‘Why is Joseph still alive?! If he had died, none of this would have happened. Coco and I could have had a smooth wedding and a peaceful life. I just don’t understand why Joseph wants to ruin everything! It was he who had rejected Chloe and mistreated her. All I want is to give Coco happiness. She can’t learn that Jasper is her kid as everything I’ve worked so hard to achieve will be ruined. I’ve done nothing wrong!’ Noah thought.Grabbing a glass from the nearby table, Joseph smashed it onto Noah's head. Glass shards littered the floor, and both men stopped fighting. Blood trickled down Noah's forehead, but he endured the pain without batting an eyelid. His eyes remained fixed on Joseph as he reached for a vase beside him, ready
Joseph's words pierced Noah's heart like sharp knives. He clenched the vase in his hand, his eyes filled with determination. Something in him snapped, and he truly wanted Joseph gone at this moment.The tension in the room was palpable as they stared at each other with bated breath. Suddenly, a rough, worried voice broke the standoff. A muscular man rushed over, his steps creaking the wooden floor. He nervously helped Joseph to his feet and asked, "Sir, are you okay?"Joseph was not in a good shape. He had not had a proper rest for two consecutive nights, and he had rushed to the Sullivan manor after briefly tending to his wounds."I'm fine," Joseph replied.Vince then cast a hostile glance at Noah and asked, "Did he do this to you, sir? Let me teach him a lesson." He advanced toward Noah, his anger flaring. He could not believe that Noah would be so shameless as to take advantage of Joseph's weakened state and attack him. Half-reclining on the couch, Joseph watched Vince march
"Okay, but if Coco wants to come back with us, you have to publicly apologize to the Sullivans," Desmond said.He had faith in Chloe. He believed that she would make a fair judgment and would not be blinded by love like her mother did. Harold cleared his throat and continued, "Sometimes, when you sense something is amiss, don't rush to find answers. Investigate slowly and trust no one but yourself. These days, people's hearts are unpredictable, no matter who they are."Desmond narrowed his eyes. He knew that Harold was talking about Noah's visit to Fennelville the previous evening. There was just no evidence to prove what Noah had done. *When Noah saw Desmond, he stopped kicking the door and said anxiously, "Grandpa, Chloe is in there."Harold looked at Joseph and urged, "What are you waiting for? Open the door."Joseph was not surprised. He stood up and unlocked the bedroom door. Chloe had been crying. Her face was stained with tears, and she was both physically and emotiona
"Nothing," Chloe replied, her face pale as she shook her head.Noah's gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds. He still could not shake off the uneasy feeling that was nagging at him.'What recording could it be? Joseph wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal the truth to Chloe himself. He must’ve done it through someone else…' he thought. Then, Noah immediately thought of Vanya. At that moment, his phone vibrated. He had received a text message from Otto. [Vanya’s dead. My father eliminated her.] Noah's fingertips tapped the phone screen, replying with a simple question mark. [My guess is that Joseph sent her abroad, but my father's overseas network intercepted her. I never expected Joseph to be so kind to her.]Noah put away his phone. As he gazed at Chloe in her wedding dress through the rearview mirror, understanding dawned upon him. It was not Joseph who was kind. It was Chloe who had promised Vanya before she was hypnotized. The recording Harold mentioned must have be