Chloe contemplated for a moment, then decided to seek out Noah.*It was 9 in the evening when Chloe got back to the manor. The vast residence appeared tranquil in the moonlight, and the helpers had turned in to rest for the night. The garden roses were in full bloom, filling the air with their fragrance. Chloe plucked a blossom and placed it in a vase.After taking a shower and changing into comfortable pajamas, she headed to the security room."Ms. Chloe? What are you doing here? You don't need to come personally. If you have any requests, just let me know," the guard said, standing up as she entered."It's fine. Did Noah go out today?" Chloe asked.Desmond had hastily set up this security room before going on his vacation. It was to monitor Noah's activities and prevent him from causing trouble again."No, he hasn't. Mr. Noah has been in the room the whole time and hasn't even had dinner," the guard replied. He was tasked with delivering Noah's meals and to monitor him closel
Chloe fell silent. She lowered her head to hide her emotion and asked in a heavy voice, "Was this really you?""Hahaha, what do you mean? Did I do something?" Noah laughed heartily as if he had just heard a massive joke. "Are you suggesting I arranged for Gary to buy Exotic Star’s shares? Coco, even if you don't trust me anymore, you should stick to the facts. You know better than anyone how long I’ve been locked in this room. Of course, if you're so eager to find a scapegoat to pin everything on, I won’t fight it, but everyone knows that Grandpa removed me from the board.” He then added sarcastically, “I’m absolutely ‘powerless’ here.”Chloe stared into his eyes and said, "No need to get so defensive. I'm just asking.""Defensive? Me?" Noah placed his hands behind his head and gazed at the pitch-black ceiling. His laughter eventually came to a stop. "Shouldn't I be?" he asked.This sounded like both a question for himself and Chloe. Just because the Sullivans had adopted him, he h
Everyone lied and gave the same statement as Damon. Some of them even refused to see Chloe. After running around for a whole day, her efforts proved futile.She collapsed in her car, exhausted, wondering if this was really Noah's scheme. She did not want to admit that he was the prime suspect. She kept lying to herself and refused to go home to face it.After some time, the pedestrians on the street lessened and the city quieted down. Chloe had her eyes shut to rest, a constant frown on her face.Buzz, buzz, buzz…A vibration ruined the silence.Chloe slowly opened her eyes and picked up her phone. It was a text from Jasper, inviting her to the amusement park tomorrow. Massaging her temples, she texted him back.[Sorry, Jas. I'm busy tomorrow. How about we go another day?]Joseph called her not long after she sent that text. Picking it up, she said in a voice heavy with fatigue, "Speak."Joseph paused for a moment. "Where are you?"Chloe looked at the shopping mall nearby and
Joseph slid into the passenger seat and toyed with Chloe's phone. His firm voice warmed Chloe’s heart."You came to find me because I didn't sound right?""Yes, I worry about you."Joseph was honest with his feelings, contrary to his past self. However, his bold confession filled Chloe with uneasiness."You’re so corny," she said helplessly.Looking straight into her eyes, Joseph responded seriously, "I’m not. I'm just telling the truth.""Okay, stop." Chloe let out a long sigh and held her chin, saying in worry, "I'm not in the mood to flirt.""That's not what I'm doing here. I came to help you resolve the problem." He calmly patted her forehead, smoothing the frown on her face. Somehow, she felt safe and convinced.Chloe thought for a few seconds before telling him what had happened over the last two days. She told him everything, venting all her bottled-up feelings. After hearing the whole story, Joseph remained quiet.Chloe urged, "What do you think?""We’re going to th
Chloe tried to soothe Desmond, shedding tears as she said anxiously. "You shouldn’t move, Grandfather. Lay down." "No, I have to get to the office. Exotic Star is about to be stolen from us."Desmond pushed Chloe away and stubbornly tried to get out of bed. Exotic Star was like a child he raised, and it belonged solely to the Sullivan family. No one else could covet it. He also wanted to figure out how that greenhorn Gary had got the whole board to say yes to him. "Mr. Desmond, the board members have signed the transfer contracts. Morally and legally, everything favors Gary, so just calm down and rest first. Please trust that Chloe and I will take back Exotic Star. But whatever it is, I believe the company fell into Gary’s hands because of Noah,” Joseph said in a firm, confident tone.Desmond trusted Joseph. Joseph could drive Gary out of Exotic Star if he gave his all, but Desmond wondered why Joseph claimed that Noah was behind this. He asked in confusion as his anger dissipate
Damage caused by hypnosis was irreversible, yet Noah still cruelly chose to hypnotize Chloe to get his way. He was just as ruthless as Cyrus, ignoring the safety of the one they loved. It was sickening!Desmond fell silent.Puzzled, Chloe asked, "What do you mean he tampered with my life?"Joseph caressed her head and lied through his teeth. "You misheard me. I said he might hurt you since he has the heart to betray Exotic Star."Chloe was doubtful. She could not tell if Joseph was telling the truth."Sir, you may meet with a few of the board members and listen to their side of the story when you're feeling better. You'll find out then if Gary really is that influential or if someone is helping him." Desmond remained silent, looking extremely sullen. He gave off an oppressive feeling. Chloe decided to end the conversation as she knew that he could not accept Noah's betrayal at the moment. She promised to resolve this and told him to rest well and not worry.Chloe stayed the nig
In an attempt to help Xavia, Megan said, "Mr. Kenneth, you can't do that. Everyone knows that Xavia's pregnant with your child. Don’t believe those bastards and break up with Xavia. You have to take care of her.”Megan had long realized that Xavia was insincere toward her, but having others curry favor with her when they heard that she was acquainted with the prince's fiancee was a great feeling. Her career was improving, and she no longer had to compete against inferior internet celebrities for lousy advertisement gigs. To protect her dignity, she had to side with Xavia."Are you calling my father a bastard?" Kenneth questioned Megan coldly.The frightened Megan shook her head and denied, "No, I was talking about Chloe!""She didn't mean that, Ken." Xavia tried to grab Kenneth's sleeve but he avoided her. Xavia said sorrowfully, "We can have an amniocentesis if you don't believe the child is yours. The results won’t lie."Kenneth repeated her words when he recalled something. "Th
His words frightened Xavia and drove her mad. She frantically gripped his shirt and interrogated him desperately, "Not only do you want to give me up, but you also want to kill your child? You’re too cruel, Kenneth Gillingham!""Stop! You’re the one who caused this mess. If you had told me the truth from the beginning, Chloe and Joseph wouldn't have had the chance to expose your lies. You’ve disappointed me!" As Kenneth pushed her away, his last bit of compassion vanished. Every member of the palace knew that he had been fooled by this woman. But he deserved it, and he could blame no one. He would be a fool to believe her lies again after learning about the truth. If Xavia had been honest with him from the get-go, he might have been biased toward her. But now, he wondered if the person he loved was Xavia or just the persona she had created. Otherwise, how would a person's character change so much overnight? "I was forced to lie to you. I didn’t want to. Just try to understand my s
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