After leaving Ezra’s place, Chloe got a call from an Exotic Star employee reporting that there were matters that needed her attention. Noah's absence had relegated most of the responsibilities onto her plate, making her schedule jam-packed.Joseph went to pick up Jasper from school.As Jasper settled into the child seat, he eyed his father who was engrossed in his phone. "Daddy, I have something to discuss with you."Joseph did not look up from his phone. "Go ahead.""Could you please stop forcing Mom to cook for you? Women should be pampered, not ordered around."Joseph's finger paused mid-swipe. He looked at Jasper and answered, "But I really enjoy her cooking.""The occasional occurrence is fine, but we have hired cooks at home. Asking Mom to cook every day is simply too much work.""I didn’t ask her to cook every day."Jasper huffed, unconvinced. "But you wish she did."Joseph had devoured the lunch Chloe had prepared as if he had not eaten in years. He practically licked
"I own half of Exotic Star. I'm not stealing or forcing anyone into anything, so why can’t I do this?"Noah spoke in a low voice, but the resentment in it was palpable. After all, he had always been the black sheep. Desmond’s clear favorite had always been Chloe. It never mattered if she was right or wrong. His bias was unconditional."You two should talk things through openly. I believe Mr. Desmond won’t be that harsh with you. He probably just wants to teach you a lesson, not actually kick you out of the company.”"If he wasn’t going to drive me away, why did he make a public spectacle? Why not deal with it silently?""Maybe it's his roundabout way of shielding you?" Guessed the secretary, but guessing was all anyone could do when it came to Desmond. No one could read his mind, including Chloe."That’s all useless now. The current outcome is disappointing enough," Noah said as he removed his bracelet from his slender wrist and twirled it. A glint of ferocity flashed through his
Chloe seethed with anger. ‘These people are animals!’Emily stirred. Upon recognizing Chloe, her eyes instantly reddened. "Coco, I ran into these people after leaving a work team-building session. They trapped me and forced me to drink something weird. Everything after that is just a blur.""Oh, why are you acting all innocent? You were having a great time earlier!” Megan sneered.Shielding Emily behind her, Chloe shot Megan a frosty look. "Did Xavia put you up to this?""Correct. Brilliant detective work.”Megan would not dare go against Chloe without someone backing her."Are you stupid or something?"Xavia had just recently broken ties with Megan, but here she was, back as Xavia's lapdog.Megan glared at Chloe. "You don’t know squat."What could she do besides serve Xavia? Megan’s reputation had gone down the drain. Many brands had terminated their contracts with her, and she now owed so much in compensation that she would never be able to repay. Xavia, now sitting pretty a
"Don’t worry. Despite her physical injuries, the patient bears no signs of sexual assault,” the doctor said reassuringly.Chloe immediately reported the incident to the police and enlisted a robust team of internet trolls. By the time the police report and medical treatment were done, it was already 5 in the morning. Exhausted, Chloe and Emily found refuge in a hotel, sleeping until the afternoon light streamed through the curtains. Upon checking out, they refueled themselves with the hearty spread at the hotel's restaurant.At a nearby table sat a group of excited young women."Can you believe it? These big-time influencers are going down like dominoes overnight!""Terrifying, right? They act like saints online, but they're such bullies in real life.”"They’d even donated to their alma mater last month. It’s now clear they're just fame-seekers.""The speed of the public opinion shift is insane. Where will they get fans now?""Who cares? The police are involved, so it has to be
Stella was ecstatic, clutching her phone as she paced the reception room. She daydreamed about hiring some thugs to teach Chloe a lesson. Noah would surely be pleased and would thank her for taking revenge on his behalf. She even pictured Noah bringing her on dinner dates and lavishing her with gifts. The thought made her cheeks flush.She quickly hired some local thugs online and sent them to the meeting location. She wired the agreed-upon sum and told them to “take good care” of Chloe. At four in the afternoon, the hired men reached the specified spot but could not locate the woman from Stella's photo."Where is she? I was really looking forward to this."They had been quite eager upon seeing Chloe’s photo. A gorgeous woman like her was well worth their time, pay or no pay."We've been here for half an hour. She's not going to stand us up, is she?""Do you think she's messing with us?""Let's ring her up. We have her number.""Good point, but act like you're the scalper."Jus
Joseph looked at Chloe intently. "Should we continue digging?""Never mind, forget it," Chloe said.If there was no immediate threat, that was enough for her. The only ones pulling the strings were likely Duskfall or Xavia. She could not be bothered to dig any further, and she was about to deal with Xavia anyway.A phone buzzed, breaking the silence. It was Joseph's. Chloe found herself glancing at the screen. It was Gabriel calling."What is it, Gab?" Joseph asked as he reclined in his chair."Bethany's back," Gabriel answered.Chloe could feel his enthusiasm even through the phone.Joseph instantly sat up straight. After gaping wordlessly a few times, he finally said, "I’ll come over right now."Vince shot to his feet, thinking Duskfall was causing trouble again. "What's going on, sir?"Joseph hesitated, then finally spoke. "Bethany's back.""Bee is awake?""Yeah, though I don’t know why she didn’t give me a heads-up.""This is great news! Let's go see her!" Vince was vis
Chloe acted like she was mad, she came off more like a jealous woman.Joseph smirked and teased, "I'm a pervert with eyes only for you."Chloe did not reply. Giving him the cold shoulder, she turned around and stormed into the Sullivan manor.As he watched her disappear, Joseph fired up his car and made his way to Imperium. When he got there, an excited petite woman came running toward him.Vince trailed after her, yelling, "Take it easy! You're not fully recovered!”Ignoring him, Bethany ran up to Joseph. She glowed as said, "It’s been a while."Joseph smiled warmly. "When did you wake up?""Just last week," Bethany answered after counting the days on her fingers. "I wanted to see you right away, but the doctors wouldn't allow me to leave. I was bored out of my mind.""You should heed the doctor’s advice. Your well-being should be your top priority. As a healthcare worker, you should understand that,” Joseph cautioned.Back when Imperium was just getting off the ground, they
Joseph's eyebrows furrowed. "This money is for you. You've sacrificed too much for Imperium. You should now rest and enjoy life."Bethany was not considered a senior member of Imperium. However, her contributions had earned her the utmost respect. Besides, Imperium now possessed an advanced level of medical care, so there was no need for her anymore."I don't want to leave. I want to stay with Imperium forever. Please don't reject me," Bethany said, tears welling up in her eyes as she clung to Joseph's arm. She was not as cunning as Xavia nor as bright as Chloe, but she had a gentle and homely charm.Joseph freed his arm from her grasp. "You're overthinking it. This isn’t about rejection.""Then why are you trying to make me leave?""You should retire early. You can go to the spa, watch movies, find a good partner, and have children. It's better than staying here."Nearly everyone in Imperium was male. It would not be suitable for her to remain in a male-dominated environment."