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
“I can set you free and get the best medical experts in the country to treat your daughter," Joseph offered, "All you need to do is seek out Desmond and reveal everything Noah ordered you to do today."Eustace shook his head, his expression blank. "No, I won’t trust you."At the same time, he prayed, ‘Aggie’s been healthy for over a year. Aside from her struggles when it comes to learning, she's now like any other kid. She'll be fine. Aggie will be fine…'Now in his mid-thirties, Eustace’s eyes were bloodshot and he sported a scruffy beard. He looked utterly drained, but within that exhaustion was a spark of enduring hope for his little girl.Joseph signaled the guards at the door to keep an eye on Eustace. His sliver of sympathy for the man came from his own position as a dad.*The Whitman family home was abuzz with activity all night. Even Lucas, who was not part of Imperium, had his hands full. Under Joseph’s prolonged absence, Fairlight and the Whitman Group were in need of
Jasper blinked his adorable, dewy eyes. The slightly upturned corners of his peepers were an inheritance from his father, giving the young boy an air of coldness. But in his father’s presence, Jasper just looked heartrendingly vulnerable."What is it, Daddy?""Can you recall the details of today’s kidnapping attempt?"With a firm nod, the boy said, "All of it."Jasper had been waiting for the family chauffeur after school. When the driver showed up, the poor man was knocked out and a stranger jumped behind the wheel. Jasper instantly knew that something was wrong and tried to run back into the school, but the stranger grabbed him and tried to shove him into the car. Thankfully, Vince had arrived in the nick of time. Otherwise, he would not be looking at his father right now.A shadow flitted over Joseph's chiseled face. "First thing tomorrow, go with Greatpapi to visit your mom and tell her exactly what happened.""I understand, Daddy." Jasper looked at Joseph with an expression
Under the influence of sedatives and shock, Chloe woke up feverish in the middle of the night. After taking some fever-reducing medication, she slipped into a state between waking and sleeping, experiencing an intensely vivid dream.In the dream, Joseph took her to various places, each sparking a curious sense of familiarity. They looked madly in love, sharing passionate kisses, warm embraces, and body heat.Abruptly, the scenery shifted and Joseph vanished. Panic-stricken, Chloe searched everywhere and finally found a man curled up in a corner. He was wounded all over, and a cold, shiny knife stuck out of his chest...Snapping awake, Chloe found herself soaked in a cold sweat and her face ghostly pale. She stared blankly at the red doormat by her doorway. The longer she looked, the more it mirrored the red stain on dream-Joseph's chest. This thought sent shivers down her spine.She sprung out of bed, rolled up the unsettling doormat, and threw it in the trash can. Settling back in
Chloe did her morning routine and changed into a dark-colored outfit that matched Jasper's attire. The tailored style complemented her good figure without being too flashy. She did not look like Jasper’s mother but rather his older sister.Moments after Chloe and Jasper left the Sullivan manor, Noah received a message. His face sank as he looked at the consent forms submitted by the major shareholders, but he did not panic.Joseph was truly one to hold grudges, not to mention that he acted swiftly. Unfortunately, there was only so much he could do. Desmond rejected the Whitmans, not allowing them through the door, and refused to talk to them. Not even Jasper could get through the front door.Noah raised an eyebrow and looked at the head secretary beside him. She understood and immediately collected the consent forms from the shareholders before politely seeing them off. This time, the shareholders did not engage in the usual pleasantries. They all wore serious expressions until they