"I don't know," he replied honestly, cracking a smile. "But aside from this approach, can you think of any other options?""For now, no.""So isn't the answer obvious?" "I know what you want," Otto said, "You’re trying to get me into agreeing with your plan so that you can reap some benefits." He knew that relying solely on his abilities to capture Frieda was a formidable challenge. Firstly, Joseph was vigilant. Secondly, managing to evade Duskfall for years proved Frieda’s great counter-surveillance skills. Thirdly, he had already tested the method that Noah was suggesting. They would abduct Jasper and throw the Whitmans into disarray. When that happened, Frieda would undoubtedly come out in search of the child, and all they had to do was set up an ambush.If all plans fell through, they would use Jasper as leverage to exchange for Frieda. They were fairly confident that Joseph would accept their terms. After all, their intention was not to harm Frieda, but the situation was di
Ophelia clenched her fists and said, "I just wanted to see the Sunrise Ruby. It's not like I came here to see her." "But aren't you worried that Chloe will snatch your father from you? Your brother has been hovering around Xavia these days. He showed no concern for you when you had a sore throat yesterday," the woman continued, "Forgive me for being blunt, but honestly, Xavia's presence isn't that harmful to you. At most, she'll become your sister-in-law. On the other hand, Chloe can directly affect your status. If she's given the title of princess, she might replace you.""No way! My father would never bestow the title of princess on Chloe!" Ophelia shouted, stamping her feet in frustration.The thing she was proudest of was her family and the love her parents showered on her. The thought of sharing her parents' love with someone made her wish that person dead."But your father gave Chloe a Sunrise Ruby. It seems to me that he values her a lot."Ophelia took a deep breath, strug
"Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend Exotic Star's product launch, everyone. This is my first time representing Exotic Star, and if there are any shortcomings, please feel free to point them out. Your feedback is valuable to me, and I'll strive to improve.""You’re being too modest, Ms. Chloe.""Yes, we had a wonderful experience.""We hope to meet you again.""You're an up-and-coming talent. There are high hopes for you, Ms. Chloe."Standing in the crowd and hearing the praises, Ophelia's expression was unsightly. "Are you really capable of improving?" she questioned.Her words drew the attention of those around her. She stood as straight as a ramrod, boldly meeting their gaze.Chloe locked eyes with Ophelia. She smiled at Ophelia broadly, but anyone could see it was fake. "Why of course.""Then come over here. I need to talk to you.""Can't you just say it from there? I can hear you just fine.""No, you have to come closer. I'm afraid you won'
Ophelia knew what Chloe was implying, and her face turned red in embarrassment and rage. She had clearly underestimated Chloe. She closed her eyes and turned her foot toward the woman. "Tie my shoelaces."Although the woman did not have an extraordinary background, she had never been humiliated like this before. She hesitated, "But princess, I—”Ophelia's face sank. "Are you saying no?""Of course not…" the woman said begrudgingly as she bent down. She was wearing a high-slit dress, giving everyone a view of her exposed thigh.Chloe looked at them coldly. She did not sympathize with them as they had brought this upon themselves.After the laces were tied, neither Ophelia nor the woman could bear to stay any longer. They wanted to leave as quickly as possible. Ophelia turned around and hurried toward the entrance. She did not think she had done anything wrong, and her resentment toward Chloe grew stronger."Hold it right there."Ophelia looked up and saw Joseph standing before he
"I’ll let her go, and I'll only say this once. Stay away from Chloe. Don't ever think of harming her reputation or her life. If you do, I'll make your life so miserable that even your father can't do anything about it. Mark my words and don’t even lay a finger on Chloe. Do you understand? Even I don't know what I'm capable of when I’m angry," Joseph said, his gaze cold and intimidating. Joseph flung the fork away, and the woman collapsed to the floor. Ophelia's teeth clattered as she stared at him. She could not understand why such an excellent man would be interested in Chloe.Callum had even attempted to arrange a match between Ophelia and Joseph. However, he showed not one ounce of interest in her, and her pride prevented her from pursuing the matter. Later on, she also learned that Chloe was her father’s daughter, and her jealousy spiraled out of control.Initially, Ophelia held no grudges against Chloe. She had given Chloe many chances, but Chloe did not appreciate her gesture
Chloe did not when Joseph had got here, but regardless, it was wrong of him to put others down. She stomped on his foot and said, "Cut the crap! It’s not like you can play." "And who told you that?" Joseph confessed as he raised his chin proudly, "I'm Grade 10 in piano.""Sure, I believe you," Chloe answered half-heartedly as she rolled her eyes.Her response made Joseph frown. "You think I'm lying?""Duh."It was hard to achieve Grade 10 in piano, and it was even harder to believe that he was proficient in both music and business."Well, you're in luck today." Joseph sneered. He then walked onto the stage. Chloe anxiously thought, 'Seriously?'The dimmed lights on the stage came on, shining on Joseph as he sat before the piano in his black suit. He looked as charming and noble as a prince. Curiosity drove Chloe to watch him. 'He is serious. Ha! I’m going to enjoy myself again, and for free too.'Vince pulled his phone out to take a photo to commemorate the moment. He felt
Chloe's eyes lit up. "These pills can do that?""It won’t cure your headaches, but it will prevent them.""That's okay. Even I don't even know what causes the headaches. Thanks. I’ll be very happy if my head stops hurting." She really wanted the excruciating headaches to stop.Joseph felt a trace of bitterness at hearing these words. He whispered, "You'll get better."He would soldier through all the hardships with her and spend the rest of his life with her.*Noah just came out of a meeting. When he watched the playback of the product launch broadcast, he saw Joseph playing the piano for Chloe. His hands stiffened and slowly clenched, the veins in them bulging.'He just won’t stop pestering Coco. Tsk! The aloof Mr. Joseph had become so loving. My wife truly is a charmer.'Noah then called Otto. "Have you managed to convince Ophelia?""Almost. I'll tell her to ask Chloe out tonight. Keep an eye on Desmond and don't let him call the police. Chloe is just a cover.""Understood
Chloe texted Noah that she would not be home for dinner, but got no reply. She assumed he was busy. She left the building and flagged down a cab, giving the restaurant’s address to the driver.He muttered under his breath, "This place is so remote. It’ll take an hour to get there."Chloe overheard what he said and was stunned. "It’s that far?" "Yeah, it is. This place just opened its doors, and I went there about two days ago. You have to book in advance to dine here. They only serve a fixed number of customers a day." Chloe sighed. "I see. I was thinking the place isn’t safe."The driver chuckled. "No, it’s absolutely safe. You're pretty, so do be careful." "Sure thing."Chloe then left the Sullivan family's driver with instructions on what time to pick her up.An hour later, Chloe got out of the cab and was greeted by the sight of a newly developed area. It was desolate and deserted. An office building was being built at the center of the area, and not far off stood a vill