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
The girl left Noah’s office and called Frieda.Growing impatient over the incessant calls, Frieda picked up."Frieda, I know I shouldn't be disturbing you since you’ve already resigned, but these two clients are very important to the company. Will you please come out and meet with me?" "I told you, I’m busy. I don’t know these clients very well anyway.""I'm begging you, Frieda. Your resignation went against the rules, and I didn't make things difficult for you. Please help me out," the girl said in a pitiful tone. Her plea gave Freida a headache. "But I'm too busy to go to Exotic Star. I'm sorry." "That's okay, I'll go to you. Just tell me where to go."Frieda was a little stunned. She remembered there being a bookstore about three hundred meters away from the Whitman family home. Imperium's protection area extended to five hundred meters, so she should be safe.Her patience ran out, and she agreed to meet.*Noah stood by the French window in Exotic Star’s president's of
“What? Is it because of what happened earlier today?" Ophelia was turning out to be such a petty woman. Also, she was the one who had stirred up trouble. How wicked of her!Vince asked, "What's our next move, sir? Should we ask for Mr. Callum's assistance?" Joseph gripped the railing as he gazed at the busy traffic below. His expression was unreadable."Sir?""This probably isn’t as simple as it looks."Baffled, Vince asked, "I don't understand. Do you think Duskfall is behind this?" "We can't be sure about anything. Get a few different groups to search for Chloe, and leave no clue unturned.""So we’re not going to inform Mr. Callum?" Vince became confused at how complicated this matter was shaping up to be. "I’ll find him."If Chloe's disappearance was related to only Ophelia, it could be easily resolved. But if Duskfall was involved, Chloe was in real danger.Vince was worried. "Are you sure, sir? Let me go with you. I'll ask the others to look into this." "Just do a
"Joe." Protective of his daughter, Callum stood in front of Joseph. "I'll find out what happened. Besides, Chloe is my daughter too. I won't let anything happen to her."Joseph ignored Callum and kept staring at Ophelia as the latter shuddered."You better hope so. You know that I always mean my words when it comes to Chloe. No one is allowed to harm her."If anything happened to Chloe, Callum would lose more than a daughter. This realization made his brows furrow. He was certain that Joseph would be outraged and cut all ties with him. But Joseph could not be blamed since Ophelia was the one at fault here. "Dad! Why do you bow down to him? Chloe being missing has nothing to do with us, and I'm hurt." Ophelia grabbed Callum's arm in bewilderment.She could not understand why Callum was being so polite to Joseph. She thought they should be fearless since there was no evidence against them. And seemed to care that she was hurt."Shut up!" the frustrated Callum admonished her.Ophe
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