“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
Joseph clenched his fists, suppressing the urge to punch Noah. He removed his coat and draped it over Chloe. "Let's get you home."Still confused, Chloe followed Joseph like a robot. Neither of them noticed Noah's enigmatic smile."Joseph! Let go of Coco right now!"Leaning on his purple cane, Desmond came hobbling toward them. He quivered with each step, and his aging face was a mask of deep disapproval.Joseph did not let go of Chloe's hand. Though he stood tall, he said in a non-confrontational tone, "Mr. Desmond, there are some things I'd prefer not to discuss here. You may not have grasped the full picture yet.""Save your explanations. We will settle our own family matters at home. Coco is now married to Noah, so let her go," Desmond spoke with authority, and his expression was stern and unyielding."Do you realize that Noah orchestrated everything?" Joseph's eyes were ice-cold. As the wind tossed his hair, he said, "If you take Chloe back, you’d be bringing her into the li
Xavia screamed as she clutched her head, "Have you gone mad, Noah?!”"You’re the mad one here," he said, leaning in to grasp her chin. "You hurt Coco."Given that Ophelia had rushed to report the incident and Otto seemed against harming Chloe, it had to be Xavia's doing."I was just going along with your plan. How could Chloe escape from kidnappers without getting hurt? A few injuries make it more believable. What sort of a man are you to admonish me after using me?" Xavia retorted, visibly angered by the sudden assault."Do you take me for a fool? I had instructed you not to touch her since the beginning. Did you miss that part?" Noah dragged a chair over, looming over her as he spoke. His long lashes threw tiny shadows on his prominent nose."Otto implicitly agreed to this. Why don't you take it up with him instead? What kind of man are you to pick on a woman?" Xavia's forehead was wet with blood, making her look pitiable.Rage built up inside of her. 'If Chloe had died, you'd
Though the timing was not ideal, it really did not matter.Fear, anxiety, loss of prestige...At this moment, Xavia was crumbling. She knew all too well what she was about to face. She feared humiliation far more than physical pain."No! You can't do this to me! I'm carrying Ken's child!""Do you think Kenneth knows you have a five-year-old, mentally challenged daughter? Maybe your genes are the issue here." Noah casually tore through Xavia’s shields, his eyes briefly settling on her slightly rounded stomach.Eustace had done some digging and found that he was perfectly healthy. It was likely that the issue with his and Xavia’s daughter came from the latter’s genes. That meant Xavia and Kenneth’s unborn child could be mentally challenged too, something that the royal family would never tolerate.This struck a nerve with Xavia. She already knew the problem was her genes. She bit her lip, unable to admit the truth. "Eustace is just bitter because he can't have me. That child has no
"Sir, isn’t this too reckless? As soon as Frieda is taken away, Imperium springs into action. What if it's a trap?" Vince was not scared of dying, but he was concerned for Joseph’s safety.Joseph had rescued Vince after the latter escaped from an orphanage, which had been a cover for a child trafficking ring. Vince’s physical strength and adeptness at handling chores made the orphanage director reluctant to lose such a valuable laborer, allowing Vince to narrowly escape with his life. However, life after the escape had been wretched, marked by inconsistent meals and hardship. At the height of his adolescence, Vince stood at 1.8 meters tall and was severely underweight, weighing in at just 48 kilograms. He was a walking skeleton. Without Joseph's intervention, Vince would not be living the life he had today.Joseph had given Vince a new life, and he owed everything to him. Joseph, on the other hand, had a completely different status in life. Destined to lead, he carried the future of
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