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
To keep herself safe, Frieda rarely stepped outside after moving into the Whitman family home. She spent her days gardening instead. She was a reserved person and would not go out unless for something urgent.What Vince learned sent a chill down his spine. With trembling fingers, he called the few men who were responsible for protecting Frieda.Ring, ring, ring…No one picked up his calls.'Damn it! Something must’ve happened to Frieda!'Vince felt his legs threatening to give way. He knew he had messed up. "Sir, I...I'm sorry. I didn't ask before sending some people out."Joseph's blood ran cold. He clenched his jaw to calm down, trying to quickly come up with a resolution. He closed his eyes and said, "Let's split up. Take some men with you to look for my mother. I'll go find Chloe.""Sir, will you be okay on your own?" "It's none of your concern." Vince steeled himself and turned around to head back to the Whitman family home.Joseph stopped him, saying, "Keep an eye on
Chloe felt a chill course through her body. She gathered all her energy and dashed into a nearby children's play yacht. The footsteps tailing her sounded like just one person's, but she could not risk it.Holding her breath, she curled up and listened carefully. Her heart pounded and her head throbbed. Everything was a blur. All she could remember from before blacking out was Ophelia screaming while running away.Who had drugged her? Who set her free? Where was she now?Chloe’s mind buzzed with questions but no answers came.Crunch.The person stepped on some dried leaves. The sound seemed so near that it sent chills down her spine.Chloe grabbed a sharp rock and held on to it tightly. Hugging her trembling self, she prepared to defend herself if she had to. The footsteps stopped nearby, but all she could do was pray she would not be discovered. The steps got closer and stopped right beside her. She held her breath, covering her mouth with her hands.The next second, a pale face